Frank Bruno's journey is anything but ordinary — it's extra-ordinary, much like the adventurer himself. Cimalp ambassador since 2019, check out this man with a truly unique philosophy, the subject of the documentary L'Iceberg. Dive into the story of adventurer Frank Bruno — a powerful lesson in life.
By the force of circumstance, Frank Bruno joined the Cimalp Family 4 years ago. "I was born in 1964, the same year as the French brand. Perhaps 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 lost 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 others, but ones that have made him the man he is today.
He now seeks to pass on hope and energy to others. He sometimes challenges and questions, but always with a purpose — conscious or not — of pushing past new limits. "We are all explorers of our own possibilities, immense and infinite." He now 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 own limits.
- Corporate speaker in France and Switzerland.
- Organiser of survival courses in Corsica, his home island
- Writer
Frank has also distinguished himself on numerous occasions, earning him several official decorations:
- French National Defence Medal
- Lebanon Defence Medal with Vermeil clasp
- Officer of the National Monegasque Association Order
- Gold Medal for French Sea Rescue
- Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
- Member of the Société des Explorateurs de France
Yet despite all this recognition, Frank remains a down-to-earth man with his own streak of madness.
Courage and loyalty
With a character entirely his own, Frank has the spirit of a free agent. In 2019, however, he struck up a friendship with the French brand Cimalp. "I've worked with other well-known outdoor brands. But the exchanges quickly became bland, even tense. At Cimalp, there's a genuine family atmosphere. And I'm delighted to be part of it."
The Drôme-based mountain equipment company quickly gave Frank Bruno one of his finest adventures. "Right from the start of our collaboration, with one of Cimalp's flagship ambassadors, Fred Souchon, we hiked all the way to the summit of the Mont White massif. He is a mountain rescue gendarme with the Peloton Gendarmerie Haute-Montagne in Chamonix — I was in good hands." A mountain 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 been produced about 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 particular affection.
This film, titled L'Iceberg, explores Frank's inner journey as an amputee who finds a "rebirth in the Far North". Today, he regularly offers other amputees his support in overcoming their injuries through an initiatory polar expedition.
Before its broadcast on Ushuaïa TV scheduled for the festive season, L'Iceberg will be screened as a premiere at various mountain film 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 pm, and Sunday 22/10 at 10:15 am
Now an explorer, adventurer and writer, Frank fell 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 chooses to settle each summer to welcome other "life's hard cases" like himself — young men and women who have lost a leg or been robbed 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.
Check out Frank Bruno through this documentary, via his portrait and an interview with Frank by Laure Filippi.
©Letizia Nicolini | Little Darwin Film | Frank Bruno
