Founder of the Orléans Boxing club in Quartier d'Orléans, Leonardo Incardona dedicates his time to the youth of Saint-Martin, often prey to the spiral of delinquency, and to writing imaginary stories.
Journalist : What was your background before arriving in Saint-Martin?
Leonardo Incardona: I'm of Sicilian origin, born in Grenoble, and have lived in Saint-Martin for 35 years. I've had several lives. In mainland France, I was a carpentry designer, I worked in advertising, and then I ran restaurants and other businesses in Grand-Case. But what has driven me for over 20 years has been boxing and writing.
J: When did you start writing?
LI: I started writing in 2007 and my first book came out in 2008. It was an autobiography called A Pirate's Journey. In it, I recounted my journey over several decades. From then on, I kept up a rhythm of one book every two years or so. In total, I wrote seven.
J: What do you enjoy about writing novels?
LI: I can spend months writing. It's an outlet. When I write, I cry, I laugh, I remember memories. I'm actually working on a new project.
J: What does this new project consist of? ?
LI: I'm resuming a story I started 20 years ago. It's a fictional story based on historical facts that I'm writing in comic book form. It's about two twin sisters caught up in a civil war in the Antilles and, thanks to a character with magical powers, they manage to escape. Eventually taken in by a fisherman named Captain Frenchy, they end up in Grand-Case and live in the neighborhood. If this first volume finds its audience, I'm already planning a sequel in two or three volumes.
J: How did your boxing journey begin before setting up your own club?
LI: I started with street boxing, as they say. Then, at 29, when I arrived in Saint-Martin, I discovered American boxing, kickboxing. But it was with English boxing and its values that I really got hooked. It changed my life. Then, I was trained by Marco London, a leading figure in kickboxing. I earned my diplomas and founded the Orléans Boxing Club, in Quartier d'Orléans, in 2016.
J: How has boxing changed your life?
LI: She disciplined me, calmed me. I understood that as a boxer, I become responsible for my actions, even outside the ring. And then, in Saint-Martin, in the 90s, it was a big, permanent fight. Today, at 64, I feel more balanced. I suffered enormously, but I also feel like life has given me everything. I've reached a point where I can devote myself to others.
J: What role does your club play on the social level?
LI: I train young people in Quartier d'Orléans for free, twice a week, from 18 p.m. to 19:30 p.m. It's not my job, but it's a real mission for me. I teach the art of boxing, not aggression. Many of these young people come from single-parent families, so I often represent an authority figure for them. I try to help them move forward, get off the streets and off drugs. And when I succeed, it's a huge satisfaction...
J: Is the club preparing a tournament soon?
LI: Yes, in July we are planning to organize an inter-district tournament with Sandy Ground and Concordia.
_Interview by Laura Mendez
https://faxinfo.fr/en/portrait-leonardo-incardona-jai-enormement-souffert-mais-jai-aussi-limpression-que-la-vie-ma-tout-donne/
