MISSION

To better understand my unique approach to helping people overcome
their challenges and reach their full potential, it is helpful to
know my story.

I was born in 1986 in Cherbourg, a small city in Normandy, northern
France. My father was from Cameroon, Africa and my mother is from
Brittany, France. I am proud to say that I am a blend of two
cultures, but this was not always the case. As a mixed-race boy
growing up in France, I experienced a lot of bias and racism, which
affected me deeply and led me to make poor choices and landed me in
trouble.

When I was a young teenager, my parents were so concerned about the
path I was on that they decided to send me to Cameroon to live with
a tutor from our church. My tutor was a dental surgeon and had
studied in Nantes, France. I was hopeful that going to Cameroon
would be a new beginning, but it was so hard to be away from my
family. I was also surprised that I felt like an outcast in the
country of my father, as many people told me I didn’t belong there
either. This led to a very dark period in my life, as I turned to
alcohol, drugs and other abuses of my body and mind to try and dull
the pain I was feeling.

I have to thank my older brother for helping to turn my life around.
When I returned home to Europe, he told me that I had to pull myself
together and stop acting like a victim. That is when I started
channelling my energy towards study and exercise. I began working
out intensely, running long distances and undertaking extreme
physical challenges. I also had the opportunity to go to Canada to
learn English in Calgary, Canada (a city which became close to my heart)

and earned my coaching certificate in Manchester, United Kingdom.
After establishing myself as a successful personal trainer, I felt
like I wanted to do something new. Something big. Something
remarkable.

I looked to my father’s incredible journey as a migrant, leaving his
home in Cameroon in the 1970s with no money to start a new life in
France. Following his example, I ran alone from Cherbourg to
northern Africa; and then across the United States, to raise
awareness about the plight of migrants around the world.

Like many extreme athletes, I was left feeling a void in my life
after finishing these epic undertakings. I knew that I was dealing
with depression, and that is when I discovered the powerful healing
benefits of meditation, breathing exercises and deliberate,
controlled exposure to the cold. By pushing myself to survive in
harsh, freezing conditions, I have become stronger than I could have

ever imagined. This has led to my latest personal challenge to break
the ice bath world record in honour of my daughter Kira, who is the
light of my life and is dealing with her own challenges related to
being on the autism spectrum.

This is the journey that has led to the creation of Andre Belibi
Coaching and Mindset Services. I am passionate about using my
training lessons from my past to help people overcome their own
challenges. I hope I can be a positive example of how you always
need to learn from your failures, keep moving forward, and Chase
Your Worthy Cause!

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Andre Belibi Eloumou