The “Du Sport en Plus” program is more popular than ever! Following in the footsteps of Scott Simons and Dany Trudel, Ahmed Yves Douhou has now shared his expertise with young athletes. On Wednesday, May 17, approximately 120 young athletes, coaches, and parents from the FC Anjou soccer club gathered together. They attended a workshop focused on the theme of “perseverance.”
Mr. Douhou agreed to join the Sports Council’s panel of speakers in order to pass on his experience to future generations.
“I’ve had a great career, but it hasn’t always been easy. I want to do my part, to share my experience with young people so they can understand how elite sports work. This is something close to my heart. We need people like us to help and guide young people,” the Frenchman tells us.
FC Anjou invited this former professional track and field athlete to the Centre Roger Rousseau in Anjou. Ahmed Yves Douhou has competed in three Olympic Games, five World Championships, and has been runner-up in the French 400m championships three times, among many other athletic achievements.
Ahmed Yves Douhou is also the author of the book *Self-Observation*, a self-management coach, and currently a philanthropy advisor. Above all, he is a passionate man who wants to share his story, his doubts, and his successes, and to show that perseverance is essential in sports and in life.
“I think it was a really great talk. People came up to thank me afterward, and that was nice. I could see in the young people’s eyes that they were really engaged by what I was saying,” the former athlete explains.
The conference began with a simple statement—“We are all champions at heart”—and the question, “What is perseverance?” Ahmed Yves Douhou shared his journey, his stories, and both the positive and negative moments of his life to convey a number of messages to the young athletes.
For example, he explained where he drew his motivation from, as a young African man who dreamed of living in France. From his early days in karate to his first achievements in track and field, Ahmed Yves Douhou has overcome many challenges. A phone call with his father, followed by a brief encounter lasting just a few seconds with a janitor, turned his whole life upside down. Perseverance and humility define him.
Through his personal story and the examples he shared, this former athlete captured the audience’s attention. Players, parents, and coaches took away the lesson that perseverance means “promising yourself never to give up.” Mr. Douhou also emphasized the importance of respecting everyone, because you never know who you might meet: “ Imagine that every person can change your life and help you live your dream.”
Ahmed Yves Douhou then used a variety of insights to explain to the young people the importance of learning strategies, planning, success, commitment, self-confidence, hard work, discipline, and perseverance. He concluded his talk with a video to give everyone something to reflect on.
