Meet Ben Lecomte
"It's always been important for me to have a greater objective than the sporting challenge, not just to prove something physically"
who are you ?
My name is Ben Lecomte and I'm an explorer, a long-distance ocean swimmer. I use my expeditions to draw attention to the problem of plastic at sea and to collect data and samples for our scientific partners.
How did you develop your passion for long-distance swimming and the ocean in particular?
I like to push my limits and I have a great affinity with the marine environment. I've never liked swimming in a pool, the environment is controlled and always the same.
On the other hand, swimming in the sea is different every time, like a little adventure. It's this unexpected and uncontrollable aspect that attracts me.
Being alone and in contact with the sea is very exhilarating.
Your sporting achievements are impressive. What motivates you to keep going?
On a personal level, every time I take on a new challenge it's a new opportunity to discover myself. But the most important thing is the message and the mission that I carry on these expeditions, and that's what motivates me.
What triggered you to put your performance at the service of protecting the planet?
When my children were very young and we spent holidays by the sea, we always found plastic when we played in the sand.
I didn't find any when I was a child. This means that in less than a generation we have impacted our marine environment without having a solution for cleaning it up.
Are you a professional today?
I don't make a living from my expeditions - on the contrary, I use a lot of my personal resources and it's always been a challenge to find a balance between pursuing my passion and having a professional life.
You work with nature on a daily basis, how does it affect your outlook on life?
When I'm on an expedition, nature is part of my life 24 hours a day and I'm at its mercy, but back on earth I realise that the roles are reversed and unfortunately we're losing our perspective on life.