Jeremy Stravius

Jeremy and Henriette at the World Championships (Photograph initially published in L’Eclaireur du Vimeu))

Hello, I am an English-as-second-language teacher in a French high school located in Northern France. A few months ago, two students of mine wrote the following presentation about another -former- student we are all very proud of and who will soon be competing for France in the next Rio Olympic Games.

Jeremy STRAVIUS is a French swimmer. He was born in 1988 in Abbeville. After living the unhappy part of his childhood in St Valery-sur-Somme, Jeremy was placed in a foster family near our school . He was raised by Henriette whom he calls his Nanny, or Tata' as we say in French. He started swimming at the age of 7 since they lived near the old swimming-pool in our little town called Friville-Escarbotin. Selected as early as 2008 in the French Junior Team, he has been coached by Michel Chrétien ever since. He won his first French title in 2009 and his first international medal one year later, a silver medal in the 100m backstroke, as well as a gold in the 400m medley relay and bronze in the 800m freestyle relay.

At the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai Stravius became the first French swimmer to win the 100m backstroke at the meet. He also won two silvers on the 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle relays. At the 2012 Olympics Jeremy got his first Olympic gold on the 400m freestyle relay team and a silver on the 800m freestyle relay team. In 2013, under the eyes of Nanny Henriette who had travelled to Barcelona to support him (see photo from L'Eclaireur du Vimeu, our local newspaper) he won gold in the 400m medley relay and 400m freestyle relay, silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 100m backstroke. He also swam the 200m medley and the 800m freestyle relay.

That same year, he broke the French National Record in the 200m IM, which had been held for four years. Jeremy has also broken the French National Record in the 100 SCM butterfly. His butterfly strength, in addition to his backstroke and freestyle talents, could be a key to French relays in the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2014 he won three medals at the 2014 European Championships in Berlin - two silvers in the 50m and 100m backstrokes as well as a gold in the 400m freestyle relay. At the 2015 French Championships Stravius won gold in the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke as well as a silver in the 50m backstroke.

Jeremy is a hero for us, and a model. He sometimes visits our school where a hall was named after him in a ceremony held in his presence last year. When he stops his swimming career, Jeremy is planning to open a canine shelter to take care of abandoned animals. But in the meantime, we are ready to support him during the Rio Olympics! Justine Leleu & Valentine Paris