Sports Stories Winners Lycée B1 Plus

We received thousands and thousands of fabulous entries to our sport-themed creative-writing contest. Here are our favourite lycée texts entered as B1 plus. Here are stories about parasports, basketball, football and the American variety. Combat sports taekwondo and MMA feature, as does athletics and a story told from the point of view of sports equipment.

And the winners are, in no particular order:

• Béryl from Mme Chèze’s class, Lycée La Trinité, Neuilly-sur-Seine
• Maya and Kylian from Mme Michel’s class, Lycée E.J. Marey, Beaune.
• Aness and Abdelhamid from Mme Andréi-Queuille’s class, Lycée Clémenceau, Nantes.
• Jean-Baptiste and Rebecca from Mme Finel’s class, Lycée Hyacinthe Bastaraud, Grand-Bourg, Guadeloupe.
• Abigaël from Mme Dénécé’s class, Lycée Marcellin Berthelot, Questembert
• Charles, Amaya and Jeanne from Mrs Maunier-Pujalte’s class, Lycée Nelson Mandela, Pibrac
• Erica from Mme Goulut’s class, Lycée Gaston Monnerville, Kourou, Guyane.
• Félix and Myrtille from Mme Boussaguet’s class, Lycée Dhuoda, Nîmes.
• Lina, Gaëlle and Nicolas, from Ms Elkington’s class, Lycée Notre-Dame de Sion, Evry Courcouronnes.

Scroll down to discover their incredible texts!

Béryl from Mme Chèze’s class, Lycée La Trinité, Neuilly-sur-Seine.  

Hearts of Champions: Triumphs of the Paralympic Spirit

In a big city filled with noise and dreams, there's a special gym. This place is not like other gyms because it's a place where athletes with disabilities come to train. They come here not just to get strong muscles, but to show the world how strong their hearts are.

One of these athletes is Alex. Alex loves to play wheelchair basketball. He wasn’t always in a wheelchair. A car accident changed his life when he was young. But Alex didn’t let that stop him. He found wheelchair basketball, and it gave him a new way to shine.

Then there’s Mia. Mia is a swimmer who can’t see. She lost her sight when she was a teenager. But when she swims, she feels free. She doesn’t need to see the water; she feels it and knows it.

Alex, Mia, and their friends are getting ready for a big competition called the National Paralympic Games. They train hard every day. You can hear the sounds of basketballs bouncing and water splashing. Their coach, Mr. Thompson, used to compete in the Paralympics too. He knows how to help them be their best.

The competition is exciting. Alex plays basketball with his team. They work together and play hard. Mia swims fast in the pool. She moves through the water smoothly and quickly.

In the end, some win medals and some don’t. But they all feel happy and proud. They showed courage and worked together. This gym, where they train, is more than just a building. It’s a place where they all come together, help each other, and show the world what they can do.

This story is about more than sports. It’s about not giving up, being part of a team, and showing everyone what you can do, no matter what challenges you face.

Maya and Kylian from Mme Michel’s class, Lycée E.J. Marey, Beaune.

The Mysterious Monster

 Bob, a young student who had been playing basketball for his high school team for a year, had a big problem: he was extremely bad, despite working hard.

Bob and his team had an explanation for this: there was a monster who made him miss the hoop every time he shot. Losing another game was the last straw that broke the camel’s back and the boys, together, decided to call a private investigator named Fouzia.

The investigation lasted three days. On the first day, Fouzia examined the ground and found some footprints but nothing was more was reported. Then, the next day, the case was investigated more closely and even the FBI was there! Nevertheless, nothing. Finally, the last day, an idea dawned on Fouzia. She decided to call someone.

A few hours later, an ophthalmologist walked into the basketball court and he said: “Bob, please come with me”. Everybody was shocked and confused.  When Bob came back, he shared a terrible news which solved the mystery: he was extremely short-sighted!

Aness and Abdelhamid from Mme Andréi-Queuille’s class, Lycée Clémenceau, Nantes.

My name is Hana Kim. I’m a 16 year old Korean girl from a city named Gongju. My passion is taekwondo. My dream is to become a national taekwondo champion and I’m really determined to do it. The problem is that I’m really short if you compare me to the actual champions. Hopefully, my trainer, Master Lee created a method which will turn my little height into a strength. I’m trying to achieve the top level but it’s really hard. I train every single day but it’s hard mainly because I’m not really naturally talented. In 3 months there is going to be a national competition and I’m going to win. Every single day is the same:

I start my day at 4:30 a.m. and go for a little running until 5:25 a.m. I go to school and study until 6 p.m. and then I go to the training and finish at 9:00 p.m. after I do my homework, it's important, that I go to sleep. Generally the next day I have aches so I do some stretching to avoid injuring myself.

After three months of training it’s finally the day of the championship, I’m stressed-out but I feel ready to fight. I think I have become better with my coach’s technique. The first fights are easy. My enemies aren’t as trained as me. In the semi finals I have a tall enemy who always keeps me far from him with his kicks. I then use my coach’s technique to pass his guard with a back flip and I kick his face. The referee stops the fight and I make it to the finals.

It’s the final and my enemy is the current champion. He obviously is very strong. The fight starts and he immediately kicks me in the face. It’s too fast for me and I don’t even see it. I have a blackout. Surprisingly I am still standing even if I can’t see anything. I just hear the referee’s voice counting. If he finishes counting my enemy would win the fight. All my family is screaming to me to wake up. I suddenly wake up. The first thing I see is my coach who is looking at me. His face makes me remember all the training, all the struggle and everything I sacrificed for this moment. I then with tears in my eyes kick him with all my speed and touch him in the face. He falls. I won! I’m the champion! I achieved the first step to my goal. And I’m not done!

Jean-Baptiste and Rebecca from Mme Finel’s class, Lycée Hyacinthe Bastaraud, Grand-Bourg, Guadeloupe.

The Unbearable

Yuri was a little boy, about 10 years old, when he got lost in the woods of the Tatras in Slovakia and just stayed there. At 18 he was tough, smart and agile. He would play fight with bears every day, race against deer and catch fish with his bare hands.

One day, he heard a chainsaw in the distance and went to see what was happening. A big company was planning to cut down the forest. He wished to stop them but he didn't know how, so he went back to the city to find an answer. There, he saw a poster for a big MMA tournament. The FFYD: Fight For Your Dream. The winner got his wish granted. The only requirement was to have a dream. For Yuri, this was an opportunity.

He won the first fights by mimicking his opponents' style because he didn't trust in his own skills. In the final his opponent was a world class MMA wrestler whose dream was just to crush other's dreams. The first round began and Yuri got smashed, he didn’t have time to mimic his opponent for he was too quick. The second round was no better. It all came down to the third and final round...

Yuri, facing defeat, realized something important. He was not being himself, he wasn't fighting like he had learned to in the forest. As he stepped into the ring, his opponent was stunned. With his newly found confidence Yuri had become as strong as a bear. He charged with rage, his ambition stronger than ever. The wrestler was overwhelmed by a rain of fists and got knocked out instantly. Yuri won! He then returned to the forest, forever remembered as the legendary fighter, the Unbearable, and was never bothered by tree cutters again.

Abigaël from Mme Dénécé’s class, Lycée Marcellin Berthelot, Questembert

Run for your rights, sis.

Today is the worst day ever. I was with my family like usual, when they handed me this letter, I was going to marry some wealthy man. I went back into my room, to run in secret, it allowed me to let off steam. At school, people always made fun of girls when they practiced a sport. That’s why I envy my brother. He can do and think what he wants. I fell asleep.

I was in a room that looked like nothing I had ever seen. It seemed like a group of girls was living here. Suddenly someone entered, her body was well sculpted. I felt my heart aching of envy. I could only go for a run when the world was asleep.

I trained the whole morning in my dream I hadn’t felt that great in years.

This made me realize what I live isn’t normal, girls in this dream have so much liberty.

I opened my eyes, full of hope. If I fight now girls like me could practice the sport they want, not just because it’s elegant. I don’t wanna be engaged to some stranger my relative picked for me.

I have to be brave and run away from this house. I prepare some stuff and hide them. I’ll be the perfect daughter one last time. When everyone was asleep I opened the window and started to run, I was free. In the news, I heard about the Olympic Games. I will go to Athens and participate. Of course I’ll be disguised as a boy. But one day, I’ll compete as Sophie.

We included two texts from the same class because they worked so well together:

Charles from Mrs Maunier-Pujalte’s class, Lycée Nelson Mandela, Pibrac.

Team with an "A" for Achilles

Achilles loved football, not soccer, football. One day when he was five, his father took him to the Superbowl. He found it exhilarating, the supporters, the players, the scream; all of it, the food too.

He wanted to play for the rest of his life, his mother agreed but not without a lot of negotiations. So, he started to play in his backyard with his father, learning the rules and tactics to win.

When he was 15, he came out as transgender, his mother was cool with it and his father was ecstatic at the idea of finally having a son.

But when he tried to switch to the school boys’ team, he was told he couldn’t, he wasn’t legally a boy, he couldn’t play in the men’s team.

He was devastated; his dreams, his future, all crushed. He could keep playing the women’s football, but he was a boy who wanted to play with the boys.

But his parents weren’t having it, they talked to the principal, to the coach, to the team, to the NFL who said they’d be glad to have such a good player in their beloved sport. But still the coach refused to let him play, Achilles had passed the try outs, but the coach refused.

It is not until the guys from the team went on a strike and refused to play until Achilles can play with them, that the coach said yes.

Achilles finally felt like he belonged somewhere, and was the best tight end the team could dream of.

Amaya and Jeanne from Mrs Maunier-Pujalte’s class, Lycée Nelson Mandela, Pibrac.

Nothing Changes

Our entry into the dressing room was eventful, with the whole team carrying me up in the air like a trophy. To be honest I was proud of myself, I had just helped my team to win. In the showers we sang, we laughed, we had fun, so united. When I left the locker room, I felt so light, but a weight kept tormenting my mind. Should I tell them? It’s true anyway, I should trust them, there’s no reason for them to look at me differently for just that. But, they are so prejudiced, I'm going to keep it for now.

But suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder that snaps me out of my thoughts. Mickey and I had agreed to meet up after the game. We were in the stadium parking lot and he came over to congratulate me. My boyfriend knows how important sport is in my life. Then I kiss him.

As usual, my mother dropped me off at the stadium for training. It was the first training session after our victory. It's always a moment of joy that we share. The team seemed distant, they did not speak to me the whole session. At the end my coach came to see me. Apparently Peter saw me kissing a man, they are uncomfortable now and they want me to leave. After my team surrounded me, looking at me with disgust, they started pushing me, abusing me. They didn't want me anymore, they made that clear. All because of my sexual orientation. Being gay doesn't change the way I play, or my virility. I'm still the same guy, but they'll never understand that.

Erica from Mme Goulut’s class, Lycée Gaston Monnerville, Kourou, Guyane.

From the Impossible to the Inevitable : The Story of Triumph 

I’m going to tell you why I did what I did to become a hero in the world football and for people in my country in Brazil. My name is Christian DIAS, I'm going to tell you the story of my life and my passion for football.

In 1968, when I was eight years old, even then I was already into football, my passion. I played in the streets surrounded by poverty, here in Brasília. My parents worked so hard for me to eat or else and in the meantime, I helped my parents. I had dreams that shone like a star in the dark sky of this reality to become a professional football player and every day I dribbled with on old ball, pushing my limits with my talents. But in a village where opportunities were rare, my dream seemed out of the reach. There came the day when a talent recruiter from a neighboring city attended a street game, and he was impressed by my skills, he offered me a chance to join a junior team. It was the opportunity of my life, and I took the opportunity with determination, knowing that football was my way out for a better future. So, I improved my football skills.  Years passed, I became an accomplished footballer, I travelled the world, playing for prestigious teams, accumulating successes and fame. But despite my achievements, I never forgot my country, where I came from. My hometown was still fighting poverty. So I decided to return home, not only as a famous footballer, but also as the savior of my country, especially for my family. I used my notoriety to raise awareness of the challenges my village was facing and to raise funds for economic development projects. Over the years, I have been able to inspire my people, my country. Today, I’m proud to have achieved my childhood dream and to have made my parents proud who always believed in me. I have succeeded in turning my childhood dream into reality, but most importantly, I have used my passion for football to change lives and lift my country out of poverty. And every time I looked at the smiling faces of those I helped and my country, I remember the strength of my perseverance and my determination to overcome obstacles and above all my success for everyone and for myself. After all, it is my story: to be quick, in every pass and in every goal. And those are the words my father used to constantly repeat   to me when I lost my matches, so I would like to pass it on to the world listening to me:

« On the field of life, every obstacle is an opponent to overcome, but with determination and passion, every goal becomes a victory towards achieving our dreams. Never give up, for each match is just a step towards ultimate success. »

 Félix and Myrthille from Mme Boussaguet’s class, Lycée Dhuoda, Nîmes.

I have spent my life taking blows, from the left, to the right. It was not very fun, to be honest it was not fun at all. Every day of my life I was either put in a very small box with other girls like me or I was played and beaten then locked up again in our very small box. I said “Our” because there is no intimacy in these long and circular tubes, we are all squeezed together, men women. The children are in other boxes they are used to train the little ones. Yes it is horrible and for god sake, there is no law against this!!  How do we endure that?  Well we are more solid than the ping pong balls. Yes because I may have forgot to mention that I, am a Tennis ball. Yes the yellow little thing that bounce everywhere. Yes it is me. At Roland-Garros? Yes it was me exactly. Well to be honest I was on the left of Nadal’s bench, yes in the small boxes with my friends. Does that make me a star? Yes for sure! What? The abuse I was talking about... Noooo, I mean no it is not that bad. You need to suffer to get to the top. Did you know that my grandfather was smashed by John McEnroe!!?? Yes the McEnroe, the one that fought against Borg. Hrmm… Yes he lost that match, but you know nobody is perfect.

Lina, Gaëlle and Nicolas, from Ms Elkington’s class, Lycée Notre-Dame de Sion, Evry Courcouronnes.

Run Like the Wind!

Under the burning sun of South Africa, a young boy was running to help his family. Whenever they would need something, he would immediately go and run to get it. In fact, they were part of the poorest people of his country. Each day, they were fighting to live. Besides having the pleasure to be useful, he loved to run like the wind! On his way, he could often see an athletics stadium where the richest and most talented people were training for the Olympics Games.

One day, a man whose the age reflects his wisdom saw him running from the stadium. He asked the young boy to do a race in the stadium to test his skills. The boy took the opportunity and succeeded. He won his first race against professional runners! Against his destiny, he kept winning every race and competitions he did, while continuing to help his family. After almost a year, his mentor offered him a chance to participate in the Olympics Games. Nevertheless, the boy hesitated a lot. It was a dream for him, but at the same time he had the fear of letting his family behind. By chance his mentor learned his situation. He became angry because the boy never told him the truth. The mentor promised him to help his family with money.

Now he can stop carrying his burden, now he can run free. For the first time in his life, he discovers the world outside his little village. During all the trip to Paris, he feels a mix of emotions: he is happy, scared, excited and stressed. He remembers the joyful tears of his mother. He will do everything to make her proud of him !