English athlete helps world avoid carbon footprint

A strong choice. Logically chosen for his record with Great Britain, winner of the world trail running championships (Lavaredo Ultratrail 2016, Ventoux Trail 2013 or Templars in 2011), Andy Symonds will not travel to Thailand, from where the event will be organized. From 1st to 7th November. The reason? Its carbon footprint. “My footprint should reach 6.3 tonnes of CO2 in 2022. It’s already too much“, he writes Instagram.

In the accompanying graph, the 41-year-old athlete describes his share of this 6.3 tons of CO2, which is 2 tons per year and three times more than recommended per person. 33% are dedicated to his travels, whether they involve his vacations or his international shopping, which often forces him to fly. “Some of the races I participated in away from home accounted for the majority of my personal emissions, especially once I had to fly there.“, recognizes interested parties, who invite everyone to calculate their own carbon footprint.

“I don’t want to lecture anyone, I’m a hypocrite about it, I have a swimming pool, I occasionally eat a burger, Symonds continues, 23% of that carbon footprint comes from its food. But championing sustainability in public and getting on a plane for an eight-hour ride to Thailand can be particularly inappropriate.»