Sacha RHONER (SWI)

Sometimes, very bad news falls on your shoulders, and you are tempted to give up. But not Sacha RHONER: after learning that he had multiple sclerosis, he threw himself headlong into the dream of running a marathon, and now the MARATHON DES SABLES. He shares his journey with us.

Following paralysis, at the end of 2019 I carried out analyzes and I learned that I had multiple sclerosis. I've always dreamed of running a marathon, but at 45 I didn't think it would still be possible to do it and even more with multiple sclerosis. Indeed on social networks in dedicated groups, I see that people with this disease are at the bottom of the hole, their morale at half mast and lack of motivation for anything... Not wanting to be like them, and above all convinced that we can have another destiny despite this disease, I decided to give myself to this new sport, running.

It is also after this news that I see on my social networks an announcement to participate in a reality TV show on Swiss television: to do six months of training and run a marathon! I send my application, even if I did not think I would be selected. But my sedentary profile sitting in front of his TV at the bottom of his sofa seduced the coaches. And that's how I got really into running on this show.

It was far from simple, injured, sore, the first months were difficult. The COVID arrives and all the marathons are canceled, including the one we had to run for the show: the New York marathon! Morale is down and the production of this reality show is suspended pending a new marathon. After a few months we resume, the production will create an à la carte event for us to complete this project. Getting back on my treadmill at home, I come across a television program referring to the MARATHON DES SABLES, and in the process I announce to the group of the program that it would be good for the sequel, the after 42 km… And there my coach (Pierre MORATH) puts me back in place, telling me that I had to see the end of the 42 km first and that my level would not be sufficient for the MDS… But that stuck with me. head since!

So I finished with three other participants this program which was a success in Switzerland with excellent repercussions in Canada and Belgium via TV5 MONDE. Today I started trail running and the people I meet thank me for having motivated them to overcome the physical problem. So I decided to keep running and sharing this new cause: getting out of a sedentary lifestyle and finding the motivation to start running.

For that, I decided to edit a report that will end at MDS 2023! The idea is to show that the limits can be exceeded. To do this, I will be accompanied by a second runner, Christian, who started racing six months ago. We have already done a marathon together and several trails. In parallel with this report, we have created an association that will allow disabled or sick people to run the race of their dreams in the future, and it is under this emblem that we will run during the next MDS. In addition, we will collect donations for three associations (MS Multiple Sclerosis Switzerland, Autism Valais, Les anges d'Angeline which supports parents of children with cancer).

Sacha ends his story with “Here is my portrait, banal but motivated”; and all we can add is that no, this life course is not trivial, and that indeed he is extremely motivated! Congratulations to Sacha for this recovery, and congratulations also for inspiring other people.