Dn their house in Pontonx-sur-l’Adour (40), the Ferradou family is busy with the final preparations. We have to sell the cars and settle some administrative paperwork before the big departure. Monday, May 29, Florent, Julia and their 9-year-old twins, Victor and Simon, began a 13-month journey aboard Basile, their motorhome. They will go as far as Cambodia.
When you ask Simon what you put in your backpack when you’re a little boy going on such a big trip, he answers spontaneously: “Milka chocolate! “. ” I…
Dn their house in Pontonx-sur-l’Adour (40), the Ferradou family is busy with the final preparations. We have to sell the cars and settle some administrative paperwork before the big departure. Monday, May 29, Florent, Julia and their 9-year-old twins, Victor and Simon, began a 13-month journey aboard Basile, their motorhome. They will go as far as Cambodia.
When you ask Simon what you put in your backpack when you’re a little boy going on such a big trip, he answers spontaneously: “Milka chocolate! “. “I don’t know if they realize what awaits them. When we asked them which countries they would like to go to, Simon replied “on the moon”, laughs their mother.
During the expedition which will take them 45,000 km, the family will carry out four solidarity actions: one in Mongolia, one in Armenia and two in Laos, with football and sports education as common threads.
A nomadic life
The project was born in the summer of 2021. Florent, sports educator, has just been made redundant. “I experienced a big professional disappointment. It changed the order of my priorities,” he says.
He then begins to dream of a nomadic life, with his partner and the twins. When he whispers the idea of the project to Julia, she is enthusiastic. “We both love to travel. I liked the idea that we could open the minds of children in this way. We want to shake up our bearings and live a strong experience with the twins, ”she rejoices. Her job as a liberal nurse also gives her the freedom to be absent for a year, replaced by a colleague.
More than just a trip, Florent and Julia imagine a united aim for this adventure. “Three months after my dismissal, I went to Benin to set up a football field and bring equipment for children from a district of Cotonou, says Florent. I took the opportunity to share workouts. »
“The basic thinking was to do everything possible by land. The end was Asia”
On the strength of this experience, the 30-year-old set up the Coaches sans frontières association with childhood friends. The project: raise funds to build football pitches in villages where the family will stop during their journey. “These are places where children do not have access to sport, because there are no facilities or no educators,” explains Florent.
The family came into contact with French associations established in Mongolia, Armenia and Laos. The latter will support the Ferradou, inform them of the needs on site and help them with logistics: the Twins Tour FC project was born.
For each association, the family raised 2,000 euros thanks to patrons and a solidarity kitty. “When we get there, the land will be built,” assures Julia. Florent will offer sports sessions to children. “Victor and Simon love to play football. They will serve as an example to explain the sessions. It will be a good way to overcome the language barrier,” he predicts.
Throughout the journey, it is their parents who will teach Victor and Simon. “They are delighted to only have school in the morning”, jokes Julia.
Geopolitical constraints
In addition to the stages of the missions, the family will cross 25 countries in 13 months. “The basic thinking was to do everything possible by land. We wondered how far we could go in a motorhome. The end was Asia. We will pass through the center of Europe on the way out, and along the Mediterranean on the way back,” says Florent.
As the preparation for the journey progressed, the couple faced several constraints. “In China, as soon as you want to return with a vehicle, someone from the state follows you permanently,” explains Florent. The family had also planned to go through Russia but changed their plans when the conflict with Ukraine broke out. To reach Mongolia, “we had planned to take the old Silk Road. Except that some countries are under Russian influence and no longer allow foreign vehicles to enter. Finally, the Twins Tour will pass through Istanbul at the end of July and take a plane hop to Mongolia.
The vagaries of travel do not scare the couple. “Traveling with children makes it possible to resolve complicated situations. People are less suspicious and aggressive. From their budget of 40,000 euros for one year, the globetrotters have planned enough to deal with breakdowns and possible hassles that would get in their way.
To follow the family’s adventures, go to twinstour-fc.com. Return scheduled for June 2024.
