Bernard_VIRONDEAU
France
Age: 57
Étape 50

Eure

Bernard Virondeau will carry the Olympic Torch. This is his story:

Alongside his full-time job at DXC, an official partner of the Paris 2024 Games, Bernard has been involved in a wide range of competitive sports since the age of 7 years old. Over the years, he has been involved in a multitude of disciplines, from judo to lacrosse and fencing, and even took on the challenge of his first marathon at just 16 years of age. As the years passed, his passion for sport led him to win the world university rugby championship in 2000, and since 2005 he has been a regular participant in the world masters athletics championships over 60 to 100 metres.

On the strength of this diverse experience, Bernard's ambition is to explore seven new disciplines and complete his first decathlon at the age of 60. But beyond his personal exploits, his commitment is also reflected in a burning desire to pass on the values of sport to the younger generation. For almost 10 years, he has devoted up to 680 hours of volunteering a year to coaching various rugby sevens teams, which has been an Olympic discipline since 2016. Bernard is also actively involved in promoting a more caring and inclusive society through his role as a social entrepreneur. He has initiated and manages six projects that have had a significant impact on the development of individuals in emerging countries. His achievements include founding ‘Polyglot-Bahia’, an educational NGO based in Brazil.