DÉFENSE ZONE
Once again, we are devoting this section to a former member of the special forces. After welcoming Louis Saillans (DZ #4), Johan Lara (DZ #3) and Alex French SAS (DZ #6), we go to meet Teddy Palassy. This former French Navy commando is now a “project manager” at “Crosscall” and heads the association “Forces Spéciales Coaching”.
Turning to sport
After eight years in operational units with the Penfentenyo and then Jaubert commandos, Teddy chose to leave the group to specialise in sport. Like all future military sports instructors, he trained in Fontainebleau for eight months. Back in Lorient, he became a combat sports instructor and created “Combat Total Opérationnel Marine”, a new preparation technique for the commandos. In 2013, Teddy left the military after 16 years of service, wishing to retrain as a sports coach. He discovered TRX (training under suspension), an innovative strength-training method, and became its first certified trainer for the armed forces, police and fire services in France, Switzerland and Belgium. At the same time, the French phone company “Crosscall” recruited him as “sport project manager” to offer its employees fitness sessions.
Forces Spéciales Coaching
Alongside his new job, he decided, with the help of former operators like himself, to set up the association “Forces Spéciales Coaching”. Its aim: to prepare future candidates physically, mentally and intellectually for the units of the Special Operations Command, but also for the police, gendarmerie, fire services or security professions. “We don’t reveal all the tests they will face during the courses, but we prepare them as well as possible to tackle them. It takes good physical qualities, but also thorough mental preparation. The right state of mind can be prepared. Each of the coaches is keen to share their experience and help the candidate reach their goals.”
Bonus
After our meeting with Teddy, we decided to team up with Forces Spéciales Coaching. Over several live evenings, several of its members answered internet users’ many questions about preparation methods for joining a special forces unit.
Following the success of these evenings, we decided to compile these four events into a Masterclass, now available on our website.
To find out more
Find our interview with Teddy on the Défense Zone podcast
You can read this article in full in Défense Zone issue 8
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