1946 à 1968
FRANCE : a love affair with sports
Curious, inventive and resilient
Born March 7, 1946 in Hamanxard Val D’ajol, Serge Jeudy grew up in the French countryside, at a time when the nation was still reeling from the destruction of the Second World War. At age eight, when his family moves to the city of St-Die, he is a curious, inventive child with a thirst for knowledge. A heavy reader, around age twelve, he develops a passion for astronomy, and builds a homemade telescope from scratch, to explore the moon and stars. Small and swift, he excels in every sport. He is an avid cyclist and rock climber, before finding his calling in track and field.
In 1961, à l’âge de 15 ans, alors que le jour même on the day he breaks the provincial record in the 600 metres event, a tragic bicycle accident changes the course of his life, leaving Serge Jeudy’s legs crushed and mutilated. He is only fifteen years old. The doctors pronounce his running days over, yet they misjudge the fierce determination of Serge Jeudy. Thanks to physical therapy and judo, he recovers, and resumes his training and love for track and field.
In 1965, at age nineteen, Serge enlists in the French army to complete eighteen months of compulsory military service. For the first time, he meets and talks with American soldiers deployed in France, who inspired him to pursue the American dream.
At the same time, Serge is offered employment by the French car manufacturer Peugeot including benefits that cover his housing costs, plus education for his technician degree, while he continues to train.
He chooses to remain in France until the student revolt in May 1968 when he leaves his country for good. A flight to Quebec is booked, and on a sunny Saturday in June 1968 Serge, along with his wife, son and only $120 in his pocket, lands in Montreal. The family is taken in by another family in the north of Montreal, and three days after arriving, Serge finds a job as a machinist.
