Youcef Ayad-Zeddam

From a young age, Youcef senses that something is wrong: he often falls while doing karate, loses strength, and has difficulty climbing the three flights of stairs to his home. He is not always believed, and people think he is just "lazy". While on vacation in France, the diagnosis comes: a limb-girdle myopathy. For him, it is not bad news… it is finally an explanation. He then comes to France with his father to be treated, discovers a school adapted to his needs, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and above all an environment where he no longer feels "different".

In high school, things become more complicated and Youcef ends up dropping out in his final year. But at home, another path opens up: IT. He spends hours tinkering, taking things apart, installing, testing… all on an old, colorful hand-me-down Mac. Curious and resourceful, he teaches himself, before joining Simplon to become a developer. He dreams of OVHcloud, the company in his region that he admires… without imagining that this dream would come true.

In 2017, he took a training course to become a support technician at OVHcloud. And then, a dilemma: at the same time he received a call-up from the French wheelchair football team, a sport he had discovered thanks to an occupational therapist. He dared to tell his team… and OVHcloud agreed to release him exceptionally, even while he was still in training. That choice marked a turning point: he succeeded in his career and also lived his passion fully. In 2025, after years without selection, he returned to the French national team and became European champion with both his club and the national side.

Youcef firmly believes in perseverance, in never stopping at the first difficulty. For him, every obstacle is a way to learn something about yourself. Team sports also taught him the taste for sharing, mutual support, and the simple joy of being together. He is convinced that disability does not define a life: it can become a path to other possibilities, as long as you are well supported.

What Youcef shares with you:

“Try. Open up. We often put our own limits on ourselves.”

“If you fall, it’s okay: that’s how you find your way.”

“Stay curious: it’s the best way to invent your future.”