Everyone has their “arrow of time”. This allegory allowed the coach of the French XV, Fabien Galthié, to mobilize his players towards a goal: to win the Rugby World Cup, which began on September 8. For sports journalist Matthieu Lartot, the arrow of time has already reached its target: standing to watch the opening match between France and New Zealand at the Stade de France. Before resuming his position at France Télévisions and commenting on international meetings, as he has done for fourteen years. Starting with South Africa-Scotland, Sunday September 10, alongside Dimitri Yachvili, former international become consultant for public channels. A victory for the man who had his right leg amputated on June 16 following knee cancer.
Standing, smiling and walking, thanks to a prosthesis and crutches: this is how the sports journalist, short hair and AirPods in his ears, appears to us at the beginning of August, pacing, like others do laps of the swimming pool, the square which connects the Châtillon rehabilitation center (Hauts-de-Seine), where he was hospitalized, and the Les Canailles bistro, where we have an appointment. “I am in very good shape, as rarely. » If Matthieu appreciates the culture of the third half, in the middle of the afternoon, it will be a Diet Coke.
He has slimmed down a bit, looks good. “I started walking one month and six days after my operation”, he specifies, just to highlight the performance. He who exalts the sporting exploits of others on screen with communicative relish keeps a spirit in all things “competitive”. “I was told that there were two extraterrestrials in the center: Adama – an amputee patient who arrived a little before me, who gave me a lot of strength, energy – and me. We’re kicking our ass now. » We have to find reasons to move forward, because, he explains, “Walking with a prosthesis takes a lot of energy”.
Feeling of usefulness
At the age of 16, doctors diagnosed Matthieu Lartot with synovialosarcoma, an extremely rare cancer of the knee. After an operation, a relapse, another operation, months of hospitalization and sterile room, he came out, at 18 and a half years old, with a leg stiffened by a first prosthesis fixed between the tibia and the femur. Forced to stop playing rugby. He will be a journalist. At 43, when he learned of his very aggressive recurrence at the end of winter, he went to the rehabilitation center and set his conditions – to be on September 8 at the Stadium, standing. “They were a little skeptical, between chemo, healing…” Before succeeding in his bet, thanks to the competence of the nursing staff, he would like to emphasize, and to those around him. “We can’t face this alone. »
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