Joshua Parfitt
LOSING a parent to suicide is one of life’s greatest tragedies – losing two before your 20th birthday is cataclysmic.
Javea resident Eric Champon, 46, was just four when he lost his mother, and 19 when his father took his own life.
But the French national has now documented his life’s monumental upheavals in a new book dealing with depression, alcohol abuse and bouncing back to a life of love and positivity.
Who the f*ck am I? A journey of self-discovery has received an ‘overwhelming’ response since publication in August, according to Champon.
“Awful experiences don’t define who we are,” he told the Olive Press.
“I want to assure readers through the story I tell that we can all transform ourselves and decide the direction of our lives.”
Written in a light, relaxed style, Champon particularly tells the story of how sport has been one of his saving graces.
Dedicating a whole chapter to physical exercise, he narrates his discharge from French national service due to being ‘unfit’ – and how he bounced back to become a personal trainer some 10 years later.
Drawing on personal experiences in therapy, Champon teaches readers how to view traumatic experiences in a healthy light.
According to the blurb of his first self-published book: “Life sometimes deals you a sh*t hand. But you can’t quit.
“You have to stay in the game to see if you can get better and stronger.”
Having left his job as a successful English-language trainer in France, Campon says he is now relishing the opportunity to engage in public speaking and work with teenagers battling mental health issues.
Copies may be ordered online through: https://www.amazon.es/Who-journey-self-discovery-English-ebook/dp/B07WHJWWT8
