Sport at school: "We added two more hours of sport to middle school," Emmanuel Macron tells Tibo InShape

Today, with over 26 million subscribers, he is France's top YouTuber. Influencer Tibo InShape, real name Thibaud Delapart, challenged French President Emmanuel Macron on the issue of school sports during a TF1 broadcast on Tuesday evening. "Today, one in two adults is overweight or obese. For children, we're talking about one in four. So why not introduce nutrition classes in schools and increase the number of hours of physical activity at school?" asks the thirty-year-old.

"Thanks to the Olympics, we have led a cultural revolution. The 30 minutes of sport every day at school is a fantastic tool for preventing obesity. It's a school of confidence. It's a school of attention," replied the president, defending his record, which recalls having introduced "two more hours of sport in middle schools." "We must continue this cultural revolution in schools," concluded the head of state, adding that he had fought for free breakfast in primary schools.

This theme had been presented by the government as a "priority" in the education of children after the Olympic Games.

Tibo InShape is known for his workout videos, which he shares on social media. His trademark is a powerful speech to motivate his troops: "I don't give a damn about your depression, I don't give a damn about your excuses [...] stop being a piece of shit, being a person with no motivation [...] get up now, right now!" he urged in a TikTok video in 2022 - which caused an uproar.

The Toulouse-based YouTuber has also built his audience by sharing his encounters with prominent figures (forensic pathologists, Paralympic athletes, victims of domestic abuse, etc.). Regularly accused of promoting conservative, even far-right, positions, he has had to apologize several times after praising a bodybuilding session by Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with the media outlet Brut in June 2024, Tibo InShape finally indicated that he "considers himself more right-wing," before confirming that he voted in the last legislative elections for "Together," the coalition of the presidential camp. More recently, he had said he was in favor of wearing the veil in sport. On this point, Macron dodged the question on Tuesday evening: "It's up to the federations to decide."