It will be the small adventure in the big one, “a personal challenge after that of entrepreneurship”. Three friends, Gaëlle, Mégane and Élodie, are preparing to participate, next November, in the Raid des Alizés, in Martinique, a 100% female race, (very) sporty, and above all united. In addition to surpassing themselves, the concept of this nature trail for participants is to select and support a cause that is close to their hearts. For the two Thionvilloises and Messina, who are also colleagues, it was obvious. Because their great adventure was born last October. Gaëlle Courson-Proville and Mégane Albrecht-Delgado founded their own association, Atelier 17.91. which fights against the isolation of the most vulnerable populations – families, students or asylum seekers – through distribution of donated hygiene products in particular. It also offers traveling workshops related to sustainable development. Actions initiated throughout the Moselle which have taken on even more scale with the current health crisis. “It was symbolic to represent the association we created and to do this raid with a volunteer, Élodie”, underlines Gaëlle. For the occasion, the team is called Les Lo’Reines.
–
“Publicize our very young association”
“Our goal is not to be the first! This adventure is above all a way to publicize our very young association, to make people aware of isolation, but also to raise funds. To make things happen differently, ”explain Gaëlle and Mégane, both of whom left their CDI jobs in the association to devote themselves fully to their local humanitarian project.
They still have six months left before facing the four days and nights of trials at the foot of Mount Pelé, alongside the seventy-four other teams. But barely four more to raise the sum of 9,600 euros they need to leave, “under penalty of being eliminated immediately. We have already raised 5,000 €, but we are still looking for sponsors, ”explains Mégane. Even if the young women fear that the Raid will be postponed again like last year, because of the pandemic, they want to believe it, because despite the complicated period, “we must continue to have projects”.
–
