Frank Bruno

Our ambassadors

Athlete

At the age of 10, Frank left school to follow his parents as they filmed the oceans. The school of life shaped a different future for him… At 18, he enlisted ahead of his military service and volunteered to go into combat in Lebanon. He came back with one leg less, but a life far richer and stronger.

Three years after that tragedy, he graduated top of his class in France from the school of professional divers and scuba diving instructors.

He then decided to set off on a great journey lasting several years. As a wreck hunter, his travels led him to discover genuine ancient wonders. But far more than amphorae or gold coins, he came to understand that the greatest treasure is sharing.

In 2003, he launched the Bout de vie association, which invites young amputees to join him free of charge on his expeditions to the ends of the earth. For himself and for others, he takes on great challenges and extraordinary adventures… Frank currently lives in Corsica, where he is recognised as a Survival specialist.

Key Achievement

Ascent of the Perserajuk massif, West Face, in Kangersunneq Bay, Greenland, with young amputees (2022 – Documentary L'ICEBERG)
Solo and unsupported kayak descent of the Yukon River, 3,500 km face to face with himself (2010)
Rowing across the Atlantic in 54 days as a duo with Dominique Benassi, a para-athlete: they finished 3rd out of 56 able-bodied crews (2005)
Trek to the North Pole on foot with Russian military personnel (2006)
Crossing of the Greenland ice cap from East to West with Nicolas Dubreuil, hauling a 120 kg pulka over 540 km in 34 days (2007)
Ascents of Kilimanjaro, Cerro Pissis (the world's highest volcano), Mont Blanc and many more...

Future projects

Leaving his blue cabin in Greenland to build another at the far north of Lapland: the county of Finnmark.
Spending an entire winter in Finnmark alone with himself, in the purest silence of nature and his own being.
Getting his next book published.
Driven solely by his untameable spirit and sense of adventure, his greatest challenge remains sharing his daily life with a woman.

Interview with Frank Bruno

3 words that define you as an athlete?

Resilient. Stubborn. Combative.

3 values that define you as a person?

The "Cabochard" spirit, sharing and loyalty.

Why do you feel you belong to the Cimalp family?

I was born in 1964, just like Cimalp — I think it's a sign! I used to represent big companies but the human exchanges were appalling. Here I feel right at home.

Your best and worst memory in the mountains and why?

The best: on my 40th birthday, 31 December at 6:10 in the morning, I reached the roof of Africa, the Uhuru Peak (Kilimanjaro). Nobody believed in me, and yet...

The worst: deep on the South-West Face of Cerro Pissis above 6,500 m, I decided to turn back. The wind made the ascent suicidal. I had formed a rope team of 16 people and during our acclimatisation, no other team had come to base camp — we were alone in the world. Then a duo from Buenos Aires joined us. That day I crossed paths with Juan, who was stubbornly pushing for the summit in a fury. Between two wind gusts, I tried to dissuade him. He shouted at me that he was an "andinista" and that he knew his mountains like no one else. He never came back from the summit... In his memory, we built an enormous cairn, at that spot where no one ever passes.

What do the mountains inspire in you?

Freedom, especially when they're in the Arctic.

What is your relationship with the environment and ecology?

I live in a stone and wood house that I built with my own hands. No mains water, no TV, no neighbours. We are nature and our only duty is to adapt to it. Everything else is just words.

Another great passion / talent beyond sport?

Writing: already 3 books, the latest released in pocket edition. A fourth is in full review.