Frank Bruno's journey is anything but ordinary — it's extraordinary, much like the adventurer he is. A Cimalp ambassador since 2019, explore the story of this man with a truly unique philosophy, the subject of the documentary L'Iceberg. Dive into the heart of Frank Bruno's story — a powerful lesson in life.
By the force of circumstance, Frank Bruno joined the Cimalp Family 4 years ago. "I was born in 1964, just like the French brand. Maybe it was meant to be", he says with a smile. What sets him apart from other adventurers and explorers? His difference, which he describes as his strength. At 18, he loses a leg in Lebanon: "10 days in a coma, 2 cardiac arrests, and when I came back I fell into violence and my father threw me out." Hard knocks among many others, but ones that shaped the man he is today.
He now seeks to pass on hope and energy. He challenges and questions, but always with a purpose — conscious or not — to push new boundaries. "We are all explorers of our possibilities, immense and infinite." Now, he shares his experience with others, both as:
With a spirit all his own, Frank has the makings of a free agent. But in 2019, he struck up a friendship with French brand Cimalp. "I've worked with other well-known major outdoor brands. But the exchanges quickly became bland, even strained. At Cimalp, there's a real family atmosphere. And I'm delighted to be part of it."
The Drôme-based mountain equipment company quickly gives Frank Bruno one of his greatest adventures. "From the very start of our collaboration, with one of Cimalp's flagship ambassadors, Fred Souchon, we hiked to the summit of the Mont Blanc massif. He is a mountain rescue gendarme with the Peloton Gendarmerie Haute-Montagne in Chamonix — I was in good hands." An alpine ascent that will remain etched in his memory.
Frank Bruno leaves no one indifferent — so much so that several documentaries and press articles have emerged around his journey and his battles. Most recently, a documentary directed by David Tiago Ribeiro (the documentary series Frères de sports) and his company Little Darwin Films was filmed about him in Greenland, the country with which the adventurer has developed a special affection.
This film entitled L'Iceberg explores Frank's inner journey — a man who lost a leg and found a "rebirth in the Far North". Today, he regularly offers other amputees his support to overcome their hardships through an initiatory polar expedition.
Before its broadcast on Ushuaïa TV scheduled for the holiday season, L'Iceberg will be screened as a preview at various mountain festivals, including:
Now an explorer, adventurer and writer, Frank falls in love with Greenland during a solo kayak expedition, as well as with the Kalaalek people, who pay no attention to his disability. It is among them, in a tiny blue house, that he decides to settle each summer to welcome other "hard-knockers of life" like himself — young men and women who have lost a leg or been stripped of their freedom — to whom he hopes to prove that life, however brutal, remains a miracle. L'ICEBERG is an ode to rare and intense encounters with the living world in its most wild and wondrous form.
A powerful lesson in life.
Explore Frank Bruno through this documentary, via his portrait and a Interview with Frank by Laure Filippi.
©Letizia Nicolini | Little Darwin Film | Frank Bruno
He now seeks to pass on hope and energy. He challenges and questions, but always with a purpose — conscious or not — to push new boundaries. "We are all explorers of our possibilities, immense and infinite." Now, he shares his experience with others, both as:
- Founder of the association Bout de vie, which helps and supports amputees in adapting to and overcoming their difference by unlocking their life potential and pushing beyond their limits.
- Corporate speaker in France and Switzerland.
- Organiser of survival courses in Corsica, his home island
- Writer
- French National Defence Medal
- Lebanon Defence Medal with Vermeil clasp
- Officer of the Monégasque National Associative Order
- French Gold Medal for Sea Rescue
- Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
- Member of the Société des Explorateurs de France
Courage and loyalty
With a spirit all his own, Frank has the makings of a free agent. But in 2019, he struck up a friendship with French brand Cimalp. "I've worked with other well-known major outdoor brands. But the exchanges quickly became bland, even strained. At Cimalp, there's a real family atmosphere. And I'm delighted to be part of it."
The Drôme-based mountain equipment company quickly gives Frank Bruno one of his greatest adventures. "From the very start of our collaboration, with one of Cimalp's flagship ambassadors, Fred Souchon, we hiked to the summit of the Mont Blanc massif. He is a mountain rescue gendarme with the Peloton Gendarmerie Haute-Montagne in Chamonix — I was in good hands." An alpine ascent that will remain etched in his memory.
An inspiring adventurer
Frank Bruno leaves no one indifferent — so much so that several documentaries and press articles have emerged around his journey and his battles. Most recently, a documentary directed by David Tiago Ribeiro (the documentary series Frères de sports) and his company Little Darwin Films was filmed about him in Greenland, the country with which the adventurer has developed a special affection.
This film entitled L'Iceberg explores Frank's inner journey — a man who lost a leg and found a "rebirth in the Far North". Today, he regularly offers other amputees his support to overcome their hardships through an initiatory polar expedition.
Before its broadcast on Ushuaïa TV scheduled for the holiday season, L'Iceberg will be screened as a preview at various mountain festivals, including:
- The XPlore Alpes Festival in Tarentaise — Friday 20/10 at 8:30 pm in Aime la Plagne
- Le Grand Bivvy at Albertville — Saturday 21/10 at 9:30 am & 4:00 pm & Sunday 22/10 at 10:15 am
Now an explorer, adventurer and writer, Frank falls in love with Greenland during a solo kayak expedition, as well as with the Kalaalek people, who pay no attention to his disability. It is among them, in a tiny blue house, that he decides to settle each summer to welcome other "hard-knockers of life" like himself — young men and women who have lost a leg or been stripped of their freedom — to whom he hopes to prove that life, however brutal, remains a miracle. L'ICEBERG is an ode to rare and intense encounters with the living world in its most wild and wondrous form.
A powerful lesson in life.
Explore Frank Bruno through this documentary, via his portrait and a Interview with Frank by Laure Filippi.
©Letizia Nicolini | Little Darwin Film | Frank Bruno
