I was born on January 7th, 1957 in Navarrenx, which is in the Pyrenees Mountains next to the Atlantic Ocean. I spent almost 4 years of my childhood in Laos: my father was in the military. I followed my studies until, as I was very good at drawing, I did a year in Fine Arts in Pau. Then for 18 months I was in the paratroops and I served in Chad (in Africa) for 6 months. When I finished, I passed various swimming examinations and won competitions and I worked for some time in different locations ...

In 1977, I joined the Police Academy for 6 months and I become a peacekeeper in the CRS - the Republican Security Companies - (and lifeguard during summer on the beaches) for 4 years. In 1981 I had the opportunity to join the CEA (Commissariat for Atomic Energy) in their security service. During my career I rose through the ranks to finish as brigade commander. I was given early retirement on 1 January 2013 at the age of 56 years. I spent 38 years of my life serving in uniform and weapons security. I was married for 20 years to my wife; I have two beautiful children Caroline and Franck who are 34 years and 26 years old; we divorced in 1999.

I always did a lot of sports: running, swimming, handball, rugby for 15 years, some combat sports, diving, parachuting, shooting ...after I stopped playing rugby I came to bodybuilding by chance, as a result of lack of physical activity. I went with a friend who wanted to enrol for bodybuilding. He asked me to go with him ... that's how I crossed the doors of a gym for the first time at the age of 33 years...

I weighed 85 kgs with my height of 1m83 and I was not particularly impressed, believe me! I was not immediately hooked. I thought it was foolish to work hard, for example, with a bar bearing a disc of 10 kgs each side - it's true! But I persevered for a few months.

Then I bought the equipment to train at home in my basement. I really started there alone. I knew nothing, I did not read weight training or bodybuilding magazines. For 3 years, I trained like crazy, no particular regime for gains unrelated to the energy expended! Then I started to buy some magazines and became interested in all aspects of bodybuilding. And I also noticed an advertisment for a gym that had just opened in Dijon: Athletic Gym run by Jacky Biondi.

I found a great atmosphere in this gym and I finally started working out and eating properly for bodybuilding. A year later, Jacky asked me if I wanted to take part in a regional competition ... something I had never considered until then! He was so insistent that I finally gave in and that is how I set out on the slippery slope! Thanks to his advice, I won my first contest: First Steps in Macon in 1994. I was 37! 1m83 as when I started, but this time my weight was 83kgs! At this time, I would never have hoped to make the journey I later embarked upon....