By Julien Barletta
Published on
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This is the fourth expedition attempted by Rémi Camus. This 37-year-old adventurer is famous for having made several documentary films retracing his expeditions around the world.
Recently, he is a survival trainer and has been TV presenter from the show “We’re taking you on board!” ” on France 3 – Center Loire Valley.
Between June 4 and 9, he takes up a new challenge, that of connecting the city of Calvi in Corsica to that of Monaco. A course of 180 km (as the crow flies) that he will swim by towing a 180 kg boat.
Everything will be used by a team of researchers from the Grenoble University Hospital for a study on stress in a hostile environment.
A non-stop journey, lasting several days
Calvi and Monaco are separated by 180 km of water as far as the eye can see. “180, as the crow flies,” says Rémi Camus to Grenoble news. In reality, the adventurer will have to cover, according to his estimates, around 230 km because of the currents and the winds.
“I will be in the water all day, until 6 p.m. There, I could rest and eat,” explains the adventurer. Only a catamaran will be there to accompany him, secure him and film the crossing. “He will only intervene in the event of an extreme emergency. »
At this time of year, the waters of the Mediterranean are at an average temperature of 18°C. Rémi Camus will be equipped with a combination of 1 to 3 mm thick. “It’s not for the cold, but to protect against the sun and jellyfish stings. »
From restoration to survival in a hostile environment
A graduate of a baccalaureate in “sciences and technologies of the hotel and catering industry”, Rémi Camus began his career in several French regions before going abroad. Upon his return, he worked as a butler in a starred restaurant near Geneva.
It was during a trip to Brittany that the adventurer decided to change his life. While browsing the stalls in a flea market, he comes across a book dealing with the adventures of Jamel Balhi. It is the click…
In 2011, he organized his first major expedition. He leaves for australia where he travels 5,400 km for the association of Lowe’s syndrome of which he is the godfather. Two years later, he goes down the Mekong swimming on a hydrospeed.
In 2018, he swims around the French coast: more than 2,650 km traveled.
The importance of water
For this new expedition, Rémi Camus intends to highlight the issues related to water. “In Australia, I had to drink my urine to survive,” he recalls.
“It is in these moments that we realize how lucky we are to have access to water.”
He counts cross the Mediterranean swimming, towing a boat equipped with tubes made from hair. This technology, developed by Capillum – a start-up based in Clermont-Ferrand, will make it possible to capture polluting particles in order to be able to analyze them.
“Fear is my engine”
During these hundreds of kilometers covered, Rémi Camus will necessarily be faced with fear, stress. This is where the partnership with Grenoble University Hospital comes into play.
A team of researchers dedicated to the project will be at his side to carry out blood and saliva samples at regular intervals.
“The protocol established by the CHU of Grenoble is very strict, several samples per day, before and after the expedition.”
Everything will then be analyzed in the laboratory to try to unravel the mysteries of the human body. How does he react under the effect of stress in hostile environment ?
superhuman training
To achieve the feat of swimming so many kilometers, Rémi Camus has been training tirelessly since September 2020. Six times a weekthe adventurer is on deck to indulge in his daily physical exercises.
“Regularly, I swim for 8 to 9 hours in the Saône”, he confides. Also, he completed a tour of Lake Geneva last August. He explains that it’s to get his body used to being immersed in cold water.
In parallel with these training sessions, the adventurer eats six meals a day: “The objective is to gain mass, good fat. In the water, you lose a lot of calories. »
To educate the general public
At the end of his journey, Rémi Camus intends to produce a documentary film illustrating his crossing. “It will first be broadcast in specialized festivals, then we will publish it for free on the Internet. »
Depending on the weather conditions, he will leave between June 4 and 9. The final preparations are accelerating as the departure draws near.
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