Beaune: A mother will cycle 500 km to raise awareness of attention deficit disorder

When Kate Manouvrier's friends, who live in Beaune, invited her to visit them, they were surprised when she replied that she would come... by bike, even though she lives in Lille.

“I have 500 kilometers to do so I have to train, even if I'm on an electric bike,” says this mother of two. To give meaning to her journey, she wants to raise awareness for a cause close to her heart: ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) . “Both my sons have ADHD and it's not very well known in France yet,” she explains. She adds: “My youngest son showed signs from the age of 5, but he wasn't diagnosed until he was 11. My eldest started showing symptoms at 17. Between wandering around the medical field and a lack of support, the journey was long, difficult and expensive.”

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain's executive functions. It often manifests as difficulty managing impulses, following directions, or staying focused. "When I ask one of my sons to go get something from the basement, for example, I have to repeat it at least 10 times," says Kate Manouvrier.

There are two main forms of this disorder: the hyperactive form, "my youngest son has it, he's always moving around, and in class this can impact others" and the inattentive form, like his eldest: "he's floating, he's in his own world, he doesn't listen," she explains. "Teachers are very poorly trained for this. You have to repeat things all the time and be patient. On the other hand, they are very creative children. You just have to take the time," explains the mother. "When you're a parent, it's not easy, because you're all alone and you think you're the only ones," she continues. The diagnosis itself is a real obstacle course: pediatrician, speech therapist, psychomotor therapist, psychiatrist... sometimes with a wait of one to two years, then several more months to get treatment.

Faced with this reality, this mother decided to make a difference. She created a GoFundMe to fund awareness-raising activities and wants to offer her help to other parents. A yoga teacher, she also plans to organize relaxation workshops. "Parents, in general, are exhausted," she says.

Her challenge will begin on Monday, May 5, with a planned arrival in Beaune on Thursday, May 8, around 5 p.m., at Porte Saint-Nicolas, after a lunch break at the L'Orée du Bois restaurant in Châteauneuf. She expects to cover approximately 125 kilometers per day, mainly on departmental roads.

Her route is published on Facebook, and Kate Manouvrier is making an appeal: "People can walk part of the way with me if they want. It would be great if people joined me in Châteauneuf to walk the last 30 kilometers." By sharing her adventure on social media, Kate Manouvrier hopes to break down prejudices about ADHD, raise awareness, educate people about this disorder, and raise funds to support families who deal with this disorder on a daily basis.

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There are two forms of ADHD: hyperactive and inattentive.