Description

🎙️ An interview with Gandour, a former purebred Arabian racehorse.
Gandour shares his journey, explaining how he left a life of competition behind to embrace a more peaceful existence.
He describes his meeting with Caroline in Tunisia, who introduced him to a life without racing, by the sea.
Today, Gandour is the mascot of Biopilates Paris, where he embodies a message of gentleness and self-awareness.
He explains his role: to inspire calm through stretching, breathing, and his serene presence.

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Transcription

• Speaker #0

  Okay, so today we're going deep on this pretty fascinating story. The story of Gandour.

• Speaker #1

  Interesting choice.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, and our source material is this interview called The Voice of Gandour. Okay. Which is interesting in and of itself because Gandour is a horse.

• Speaker #1

  A horse talking.

• Speaker #0

  An Arabian horse. Uh-huh. Purebred Arabian horse who is also a mascot.

• Speaker #1

  That is unusual.

• Speaker #0

  So yeah, so we're going to try to figure out how this champion racehorse... Okay. Became the the face so to speak of Bio Pilates Paris interesting and and what we can learn from that journey Yeah,

• Speaker #1

  I mean it's a great place to start right? I mean we think of mascots and we think of you know symbols But this is a mascot with like a real backstory and a history. So exactly how did that happen?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, and and so Gandour early on it was all about speed He's appears bright Arabian right son of Amar grandson of this very famous Maj al Arab And and so he was bred for racing, you know, as he puts it, running fast far for victory. Yeah. You know, like that was that was his purpose.

• Speaker #1

  But but even in the interview, he talks about sort of this, you know, this pull towards something else, this like almost deeper current. Right. Even though he was having all the success, you know, he talks about listening to something else, wanting something quieter, more gentle, more true. He talks about sand clouds and breath. Like it wasn't just the thrill of the race, you know, and it makes you think about how sometimes those external achievements aren't really the whole picture.

• Speaker #0

  Right. And it's so interesting, this incredibly like powerful athlete. Yeah. Craving stillness.

• Speaker #1

  Right.

• Speaker #0

  And and that kind of led him to this woman, Caroline. OK. And he says that, you know, she didn't ask for my record or my speech. She just looked at me, really looked. And he even says, you know, I think I chose her, too. So there was this kind of mutual. Yeah,

• Speaker #1

  like a recognition, like being seen for who you are rather than what you've done or what you can do. I mean, and that can really propel change, I think, when you feel like that. Right. Makes you think about how often we're, you know, valued or measured for those things instead of just who we are.

• Speaker #0

  Right. And so this connection with Caroline. Yeah. Leads to a major change in scenery. Okay. She takes him to Tunisia to this. Peaceful, stable near the sea. Wow. So you can imagine going from this world of, you know, intense competition. Yeah. To just having time to breathe.

• Speaker #1

  That's a whole different pace of life.

• Speaker #0

  Totally. And it's interesting how Gandour marks this new chapter. Okay. He talks about his first real trophy not being, you know, some racing prize, but a beige Pilates mat with my name on it. Oh, wow. So it's like this physical representation. Yeah. of this new gentler way of being.

• Speaker #1

  Yes, symbol of that transition.

• Speaker #0

  Totally. And from there, he becomes the mascot of Bio Pilates Paris.

• Speaker #1

  Huh.

• Speaker #0

  But he makes it very clear he's not just a logo. He's like a reminder.

• Speaker #1

  Right. He embodies it.

• Speaker #0

  Exactly.

• Speaker #1

  He's not just representing it. He's like living it.

• Speaker #0

  Yes. And his message is pretty profound. He says, you don't need to go faster. You need to feel, to soften, to listen to your own rhythm.

• Speaker #1

  Powerful stuff.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. And it's like the total opposite of, you know. His early life, which was all about steed and pushing limits.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, a complete 180.

• Speaker #0

  And his role as a mascot is so unique.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, how does that even work?

• Speaker #0

  Well, he says, you know, I stretch, I breathe, sometimes I teach, sometimes I just stand still and someone feels better.

• Speaker #1

  I love that.

• Speaker #0

  And he's got this little bio Pilates polo, sometimes socks. Oh,

• Speaker #1

  that's cute.

• Speaker #0

  So, you know, it's not your typical mascot situation. No, not at all. But he's offering always.

• Speaker #1

  a bit of peace and that's really what it's all about isn't it i mean it changes what a mascot can even mean you know it's not just branding it's like principles exactly and and his final thought in the interview is just beautiful you can breathe you can start again you can love yourself gently yeah

• Speaker #0

  and so you know Gandour's story is really about this like amazing shift yeah from you know external success all right constant speed always going to prioritizing well-being And a more mindful pace. Yeah. And it makes you think, you know, maybe slowing down and listening to yourself. Yeah. Could be the strongest thing you can do.

• Speaker #1

  Absolutely. And it makes you think, what race are you running right now, you know, in your own life? Yeah. And what would it take for you to find your own beige Pilates mat?

• Speaker #0

  Interesting.

• Speaker #1

  That symbol of peace and self-acceptance in the middle of all that.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. That's a good one to think about.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Something to ponder.

• Speaker #0

  Definitely.

• Speaker #1

  Thanks for listening, everybody.

• Speaker #0

  Thanks for joining us.