Jean-Philippe Jel is the only synchronized swimmer in Switzerland

BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Allow me: Jean-Philippe Jel. The 43-year-old is the only synchronized swimmer in Switzerland.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Jel found happiness in synchronized swimming.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Sport even saved his life, he clarifies. “I was thinking of suicide. Very often, ”says the 43-year-old.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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And he wants synchronized swimming to become a unisex sport – even in major competitions like the Olympics. Men are not welcome there. “That is a form of discrimination that bothers me,” says Jel.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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22/22

Jean-Philipp Jel tells the story of his life in the Blick appointment. He also wrote them down in a book.

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Jean-Philippe Jel didn’t want any more. He couldn’t go on. “I was thinking of suicide. Very often. But I was afraid of death, ”he recalls. Today the native French says: “Synchronized swimming saved my life.”

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Because of the story of the 43-year-old Frenchman, who is the only man in Switzerland to practice this female-dominated sport, Blick travels to Lausanne. To be more precise: to the indoor swimming pool Mon-Repos. Translated into German, this means something like “my peace”. That fits like a fist on the eye. Firstly, because we meet Jel at 6.45 a.m., a good one and a half hours before the indoor swimming pool officially opens. Second, and that is much more important because “my calm” fits perfectly with the French-born’s state of mind. “Right. But it wasn’t always like that. It wasn’t until my burnout six years ago that I realized that I had played roles all my life. I always looked to others, but never to myself. That broke me, »says Jel.

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But what does he mean by that? Review. Jel was born in Picardy in northern France in 1977. His mother is kind and gentle. His father, a commander in the army, was very different. Jel says: “In the first twelve years of my life, I practically never saw him. Also because he was stationed in Indochina. Then suddenly, I was 18, he was standing in front of the door. He was a stranger to me. “

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Jean-Philippe Jel attracts attention. He is stocky, has a beard and …

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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… smiles almost all the time. But above all, he is a synchronized swimmer. Nobody else in Switzerland does that.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Jel is fascinated by the combination of artistic elements, technology and physical exertion.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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«I don’t want to provoke with that. I just have fun with it. And synchronized swimming is good for me, ”he says.

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At the time, Jel still tried to win her father’s appreciation. He runs two or three hours a day, does marathons – just like his father. And he becomes an officer, just as his father likes. “I always responded to what he wanted. He was proud of me. But he never said that. He couldn’t. He can’t do it today, ”says Jel.

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Gay? Crazy? A pedophile?

In 2008 Jel gave up his army uniform. He is now the father of a son himself and wants to see him grow up. He took care of him for a year, in 2011 he became a teacher and emigrated to Switzerland with his wife at the time. Private problems follow before Jel mentally collapses. It wasn’t until 2016 that he got up. «I zapped around on TV during the Olympics and got stuck with synchronized swimming. At first I thought: Who is watching something like that? Nobody cares! But then I took a closer look and I liked it. ” And so Jel, who has loved swimming all his life, signed up for a synchronized swimming club.

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He earned little admiration for this, but a lot of ridicule and insults. “They said I was crazy. Or gay. I did not care. But when it was rumored that I was a pervert and that I would love girls, I was really affected. ” Nevertheless: Jel, who works as an independent life coach today, defied the opinions. “For the first time in my life, I just followed my heart. I did what I wanted. And that was synchronized swimming. “

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Swimming with death metal

Jel still attracts attention today. No wonder, he is stocky, has a beard and smiles almost constantly. But above all, he is a synchronized swimmer. Nobody else in Switzerland does that. «I don’t want to provoke with that. I just enjoy it. And synchronized swimming is good for me, ”he says.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Now Jel is fighting for the sport to become Olympic for men too.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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The native French feels it is discriminatory that this is not the case yet.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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Put your feet up: Jean-Philippe Jel in action.

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BENJAMIN SOLAND

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He himself is concerned with reaching the elite level. Above all, the 43-year-old wants to enjoy his sport.

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He is fascinated by the combination of artistic elements, technology and physical exertion. The fact that he lets death metal music play during his performances fits into the unusual picture. Or not. But Jel doesn’t care anyway. “J’peux pas, j’ai synchro” is the name of the book in which he justifies his love for synchronized swimming, but also tells the story of his life. He wants to encourage people to listen to their hearts and to follow him. He himself did just that in his life – late, but still in time.

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Jel’s personal goal is to reach the elite level as quickly as possible. In addition to the pool, he is fighting to ensure that synchronized swimming becomes a unisex sport – even in major competitions such as the Olympics. Men are not welcome there. “It’s a form of discrimination that bothers me. Unfortunately, the Swiss Swimming Association is not doing enough in this direction. “

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Published: 04/11/2021, 2:23 p.m.

Last updated: April 11, 2021, 2:49 pm

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