André Payraud

André Payraud, born on July 12, 1948, in Passy, ​​Haute-Savoie, nicknamed "the swimmer of the impossible," is a major figure in French whitewater swimming. Known by the nickname "Dédé the Carpet," he is renowned for his daring descents of large mountain rivers and for having helped popularize the sport starting in the 1980s. The ninth of 15 children, four of whom died before his birth, Dédé had a difficult childhood. When he was only six years old, his father, a railway worker, was electrocuted on the Chedde railway line on his way home from work after having one too many drinks. When he talks about his early years, André never feels sorry for himself; he believes that these hardships forged the strength of character that defines him. In his native Alps, he discovered the world of rivers at a very young age and quickly gravitated towards whitewater sports, first as a passionate participant, then as a professional, developing a simultaneously athletic and contemplative approach to whitewater swimming.