Yvelines: his knees can no longer bear running, he puts on the French Nordic walking championship

Since childhood, Nicolas Galdeano has been passionate about athletics. But five years ago, a medical diagnosis upsets his practice: his knees can no longer bear the race. The fault of a wear of the cartilage. At 58, this young retiree and former TGV driver then turned to Nordic walking. This Saturday, he will participate in the French championship, in his city in Mureaux (Yvelines). A first for him.

“I train six days a week, including at least four devoted to Nordic walking, with sessions of minimum 10 km,” explains this sportsman. Licensed at the Mureaux club, he is his only representative in the male category. “My goal is to arrive in the top 100. If I finish in the first 50, it would be fantastic, but I don’t dream! “Faced with the best walkers, capable of reaching a speed of 10 km/h, it concedes a slight delay:” They go about 1 km/h faster than me. »»

“It can stop overnight”

He will share this experience with his partner, Isabelle Ancona, whom he introduced to his new activity. “It’s a real pride to participate together. She was leaving from afar, then seeing her qualified makes me very happy. »Official taxes and also used to foot racing, Isabelle approaches the test without specific objective. “She will end up in the peloton, I have no doubt,” says her spouse.

Saturday, Isabelle and Nicolas will encourage each other: she will start the female race at 1 p.m., he at 3 p.m. The couple intends to take advantage of every second. “I take advantage of the present, but I know that my joints will end up saying Stop,” recalls Nicolas. It can stop overnight ”