Discover Jimy Berçon, Fresker, former slalom kayaking champion, and Olympic coach
Jimy Berçon shares with us his passion for contributing to changing the rules of the sports world in the face of climate challenges.
Who are you?
Jimy Berçon, originally from the heart of the French Alps and a all-kinds-of-cheese enthusiast. I was a high-level slalom kayaking athlete, then an Olympic coach for foreign national teams.
When and how did you join Climate Fresk ?
I discovered Climate Fresk in the fall of 2021 during my studies in Environmental Engineering and Management at Mines de Paris. I trained as a facilitator a year later, in the fall of 2022.
Why do you participate in the Climate Fresk project ?
I am passionate about climate issues and find that Climate Fresk is the perfect tool to spark curiosity and interest. As a former coach, I still enjoy the challenge of bringing a group of people together around a theme that I care about, whether it’s kayaking or climate issues.
What is your best moment as a Climate Fresk facilitator?
Every time a participant exclaims: « This is amazing, I didn’t know that! »
What has Climate Fresk changed in your life?
After spending 10 years observing climate change without really getting involved, Climate Fresk now gives me the opportunity to act concretely. I always secretly hope that this tool and my intervention will stay somewhere in the participants’ minds and hearts.
How do you combine sports and awareness?
Sport, like many other sectors, is both a victim and a culprit of climate change.
When I facilitate a Climate Fresk workshop for a sports-related audience, I use this entry point to engage participants around an environment they know and love. I thus lead « sport-themed » Fresk.
Is understanding and knowing the main levers of action enough to act?
Of course not! While Climate Fresk is a fantastic workshop, it cannot alone ensure action. Beyond knowledge, we all need to think about a desirable future, and perhaps we will need to flirt more with philosophy now.
What principle of action* inspires you the most? Do you have an anecdote to share about it?
« Think big and stay humble. » I have the pleasure of creating and coordinating the project « I Paddle For My Planet » (supported by the Paris2024 endowment fund). It is a very local project aimed at four primary schools that combines kayaking practice, environmental awareness around a lake, and sustainable mobility. As small as it may be, this project has demonstrated to each of the concerned schools that it was possible to reach the kayak club by bike rather than by bus. Coupled with a Junior Climate Fresk workshop in class, the children understand that cycling daily is not only fun and healthy, but it is also good for the planet and its biodiversity!
Climate Fresk in one word: what is it?
Understanding.
*The Fresker’s 3 principles of Action:
- Fresk, Fresk, Fresk
- Play as a team
- Think big and stay humble