We chat with Tanguy about Sport, Commitment, and the Environement

Tanguy de Lamotte has been a key person in preparing Maewan’s expedition. With his technical skills and experience, he helped Erwan choosing his boat, equipment, maintenance, and logistics for the trajectory of this adventure. In 2017, he joined Erwan in New Caledonia was a traverse to Sydney with an epic stopover on Lord Howe Island. 

Keeping to our exploration of Commitment for the month, we were lucky enough to catch-up with Tanguy to discuss his career and the social and environmental commitments of athletes.

You have recently moved to the United States, could you tell us what was behind this decision?

Two years ago with my family, we decided to start a new chapter in our lives by moving to San Francisco. It was to be closer to my wife’s family but also to take advantage of the dynamic economic environment of the city and the incredible nature close to the city. 

Could you tell us how you first committed to Initiatives Coeur?

I started my career as a naval architect. In 2002-2003, I built my first sailboat to participate in the Mini Transat. Since I did not have sponsors yet, I committed to at least giving Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque some visibility throughout the race. Finally, I found some sponsors that did end up supporting the competition and the work of Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaqueas donors. That’s how Initiatives Coeur was born. Almost 20 years later, I am still associated with this organisation. 

Do you remember a particularly memorable moment of this adventure? 

Yes, the fact that everything was extremely concrete. 12.000 € were needed to operate a child in cardiology. I remember children before and after surgery…it was incredible to meet them at the start of the competition, talk to their families, to know in real-time when a sufficient amount of donations was reached to go ahead with surgery. With the many special moments of this adventure, it was definitively meeting the children that touched me the most. 

What does commitment mean to you? What values can be passed-on by athletes to the public? 

High-level athletes can use their visibility to have a real impact. During competitions, we push our bodies and mind to the extreme to have the best possible performance. This is Commitment from a pure sports viewpoint. With today’s media, athletes have the power to make people dream and relay their message about Commitment to everyday’s life. For me, Commitment is about service. It was and it is about searching an additional value in every project that I realised, first in the social sphere, then in a more environmental framework. It’s about knowing that my action can build a better future. That’s why I worked for two years for Google, where I helped the team in the development of technologies to fight against plastic pollution.

Is there an ongoing project that you would like to share with us?

For now nothing specific. Surely, I want to continue to include the environment and its protection in my work. I would like to work to make boating a more sustainable way of transportation.