Luc Montigaud is a 24-year-old Business School graduate living near Aix-en-Provence. He has suffered from dystonia since birth, which causes him difficulties with speech and fine motor skills.
At the General Assembly in Paris,May 2023, Luc presented his crazy project to AMADYS members: to complete the Tour de France by duathlon (10km run each morning, 40km bike ride each afternoon), i.e. 3,285km in 99 days and 76 stages!
The aim of the tour was to raise awareness of dystonia, collect donations for research and raise awareness of disability in the workplace.
Volunteers and members accompanied him in the regions, and his stages were regularly relayed on social media, which also showed the way to participate in the online donations for dystonia research.
Luc was the subject of numerous articles in the regional press and on television during his tour, which raised the profile of him and his cause.
He set off from Aubagne on 3/09/2023, and completed his feat by arriving in Auriol on 9/12/2023 (southern France).
On 26/04/2024, Luc invited AMADYS President, E. Ponseel to a convivial evening conference to share his adventures, encounters, joys and sorrows, and to present AMADYS with the cheque for the donations collected for dystonia research.
A total of €12,025 has been generously donated by all donors during this tour!
Luc was also followed by a film crew during his tour, and a film about his adventure hit the screens on 7/06/2024 in La Ciotat. Let’s hope it will be distributed more widely in France and that everyone will be able to go and see it!
Thanks to his exploits and notoriety, Luc was lucky enough to carry the Paralympic flame in Paris on 28/08/2024 and to appear on the television news.
We wish Luc all the best for the future, and thank him for his feat, his dynamism, his kindness and his friendship.
Thank you for raising awareness of dystonia, and for calling for donations for research!
For AMADYS, France, Edwige Ponseel
President
Dystonia Europe
