SPORTS
Presently
Jogging, swimming, cycling, diving, skiing
Swimming and Diving
- Swimming: sessions 2x/week, 1-2 km crawl, ESTEC Swimming and Sub-Aqua Club (ESSAC, 1989-2015); Beijing (2016-2018); Corroios, Portugal (2018-2020)
- Snorkelling: amateur dives down to 5 m (Mombasa, Kenya; Cancun, Mexico; Curacao) (since 1980)
- Dive training as BSAC Novice, Sport Diver, Dive Leader, Advanced Diver, ESSAC (1989-2015); Club Chairman (1991-93)
- Octopush (underwater hockey), occasionally
- Static apnoea training (best time 4m 30s)
Alpine ski
- yearly since 1966, in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Andorra, Italy, France (Aiguille du Midi (3800 m), glacier of the Vallée Blanche, 1994)
- monoski (1997-1999); snowboard: 2nd level, French Ski School (2000-2001)
- downhill speed races (in amateur)
Hill-climbing
- Himalaya trek to Everest Base Camp, Nepal (1986)
- Ascent of:
- Mahawu volcano (1311m), North Sulawesi, Indonesia (2011)
- Two volcanoes, Etna (3323 m), Sicily, and Vulcano (390 m), Aeolian Isles, within 24 h (1998)
- Roque of Los Muchachos (2426 m), San Antonio (1700 m), La Palma, Canaries (1993)
- Three largest Mayan pyramids (Uxmal, Chichen-Itza, Coba) within 24 h, Mexico (1988)
- Kala-Patar mountain (5545 m), Nepal (1986)
- Nyiragongo (3470 m), Kivu, Congo (1984)
- Altitude sickness has never been experienced
Judo
- Black belt 4th Dan; Judo-Club Saint Boniface (1967-1972); Judo-Club Saint Josse (1973-1995), Brussels, Belgium
- Various inter-club competitions and refereeing; katas with blades (sword, dagger)
Rugby
- Positions: hooker, prop, flanker
- Club Rugby
- Boitsfort Rugby Club, Brussels, Belgian First Division (1973-1982), Club Captain and Coach (1980-1982)
- Kinshasa, R.D. Congo, international club matches against Congo-Brazzaville teams (1983-1985)
- Ter Weve / ESTEC, The Netherlands; Dutch National third Division championship (1986-1987)
- University Rugby
- Member and Captain of Louvain University Team (1974-1980)
- Three-time Champion of Belgium (1977-1980)
- International Rugby
- Belgium's Lions, 60 selections (1975-1982)
- Belgium Junior team: FIRA junior international tournament, Madrid, Spain (1975)
- Captain of the Belgium National Senior Team (1981-1982)
- Participated in 6 European Nations Championships (1976-1982), matches in The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Tunisia
- Participated in 6 international tours in:
- South Africa, Belgian National Under 23 tour (1977)
- Argentina, Belgian National University tour (1978)
- California, USA, Boitsfort Rugby Club tour (1980)
- Kenya, ASUB Rugby Club tour, guest player (1981)
- Canada, Brussels British Rugby Club tour, guest player (1982)
- Colorado, USA, Brussels British Rugby Club tour, guest player (1985)
- Belgian Rugby Federation
- Participation in International Sports Exhibition, Brussels, Belgium (1982)
- Organization of "24 hours of Rugby" event against cancer, exhibition match with Serge Blanco (1982)
Moto-cross
- On Yamaha 550 XT trail bike (1983-1985);
- Several international motorbike races in Rwanda and Congo, including:
- 6h of Kinshasa;
- sand enduros of Kinshasa;
- moto-cross of Goma (Kivu, Congo) and of Lubumbashi (Katanga, Congo);
- completed the first Baja race of Zaïre, 1000 km in 2 days, finished 12th out of 24 participants (1984)
- Tours of Mayombe, Congo (1983), Rwanda, Kivu (1984), Congo-Brazzaville (1985)
Car Racing and Auto Rally
- Car skid and slalom course (1st prize), 'Slotemakers Anti-slipschool', Zandvoort, The Netherlands (2000)
- Head of Control Station for the 18th, 19th and 20th safari rallies of Congo (1982-1985)
- Timekeeper licence of the 'International Automobile Federation' (1982-1985)
Squash
- ESTEC Squash Club, Noordwijk, The Netherlands (1988-1991, 2000-2007);
- Participation in Mini-League competition, ESTEC Squash Club (2000-2007);
- Noordwijk Squash Club, Noordwijk, The Netherlands (1985-1988),
- Bralima Squash Club, Kinshasa, R.D. Congo (1983-1985);
- Liberty's Squash Club, Brussels, Belgium (1983-1985).
Triathlon
- ESTEC Triathlon Club (1987-2001)
- completed 5 quart-triathlons, ESTEC (1987-1991), best performance 2h 49m;
Athletics
- ESA's Ariane cross: 10 km (Grenoble, France, 1992; Brussels, Belgium, 1997; Trölhattan, Sweden, 1999); 2.5 km (Dublin, Ireland, 1998)
- Member of Saint-Boniface High School Team, Brussels, Belgium: sprint (100 m/ 200 m), high jump (1970-1973)
- Champion of Belgium of 8 x 200 m relay (1972)
Water-ski
- Bi-ski, mono-ski, barefoot, back-drag on Congo River, Kinshasa, R.D. Congo (1983-1985)
- Bi-ski, mono-ski, Alphen-aan-de-Rijn lake, The Netherlands (2004)
Sailing
- Two weeks non-stop around Corsica Island, on a Gin-Fizz boat, with a crew of 8 (1979)
Handball
- Member of Saint-Boniface High School Team, Brussels, Belgium: National School tournaments (1970-1973)
- Member of Faculty Team, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium: inter-faculty tournaments (1976-1978)
Volley-ball
- Member and Captain of Saint-Boniface High School Team: National School tournaments (1970-1973)
Gymnastics
- Member of Saint-Boniface High School Team, Brussels, Belgium: public exhibitions (1967-1973)
Various
- Canoe- kayak, in amateur capacity, Belgium
- Potholing and cave visits, in amateur capacity, Belgium and South Africa
Media Reports
- "Tournée en Afrique du Sud des U23 belges en 1977 (2) : pneu crevé, première victoire, Stade Loftus Versveld et condition physique au top" (in French: "Belgian U23s tour South Africa in 1977 (2): flat tire, first win, Loftus Versveld Stadium and top physical condition"), Sportkipik.be website on Belgian Rugby, 14 April 2020.
- in an underwater photograph (credit John Ives) shown on BBC news program Spotlight South West on potential pollution of the Isles of Scilly coasts after the wrecking of the Citta cargo ship, broadcast on 18 July 1997.
- "Rugby: l'Asub Waterloo et Boitsfort sont à nouveau sortis de la mêlée! Les Boitsfortois sont comblés!", (in French), Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir, 10 June 1991.
HOBBIES
Chess
- frequent amateur player at Master level
Mathematical Puzzles and Games
- French Federation FFJM Championship: 9x Belgium national semi-finalist (1992, 1997-2004), 2x finalist (1998, 1999)
Dice Poker
- Boeing World Champion of Matonge, Brussels, Belgium (2005)