Nice-Première: How did this “crazy” idea to participate in such an event, where suffering is daily, come about? Do you wake up one morning without really knowing why and just decide: let’s do it?
Véronique: Following the reading of an article about the 2004 raid in Sri Lanka in January 2005. We thought: “why not us? It’s too top…” That’s how it all started. Unfortunately, a torn cruciate ligament in 2005 prevented us from participating in the 2005 event as planned, but it was just a postponement…
Michèle: We were both at the tennis club in La Roquette on the first Sunday of January 2005, to play in a team match outside, but the clay courts were frozen, so unusable. While sipping a well-deserved coffee for having gotten up for nothing, we read an article about the Raid Amazones that took place in autumn 2004 in Sri Lanka: this adventure seemed exhilarating at first glance and we embarked on the challenge!
Hélène: Given the withdrawal of the third teammate, I didn’t have much time to ask myself too many questions, I found the adventure super cool and thought: “It would be great… but work, family, passport…” With the leave granted, family approval, and valid passport: in fact, nothing stopped me. Just the courage to say yes and train more.
NP: How do you prepare? Is it daily?
Véronique: The preparation is not daily, but the weekends were busy: mountain biking, running, orienteering, canoeing. During the week, we had at least one group outing followed by a pasta evening together…
Michèle: In summary, three training sessions per week: – Wednesday or Thursday evening running for about an hour, with bonus strength training; – Saturday initially focused on improving our endurance, so running for about 1h30 or mountain biking between 2 and 4 hours depending on the chosen terrain. – Currently, there are canoe outings of about two hours and endurance running or mountain biking on Sundays. On the other hand, each of us trained for the discipline she will practice alone during the raid: Véronique in diving, Hélène in climbing, Michèle in archery.
Hélène: I joined the girls and their training schedule. We have the same spirit, the same profile, the understanding was simultaneous: we do our best, we give the best of ourselves… It’s an opportunity to experience both a sporting and human adventure.
NP: Can you introduce each other by specifying the qualities and defects and present your third partner?
Véronique: The third is also from Cannet. We are three little women (max 1.63m…), dynamic. Mi’s quality: always ready… it’s stimulating. Mi’s flaw: always ready… sometimes it’s tiring… The third one, whom we haven’t known for long, as the team was reconfigured in mid-October, is always ready. I think we are really like Charlie’s Angels (a blonde, a brunette, a redhead or almost…), a homogeneous team with the same goal… to give the best of oneself and fully enjoy this eagerly awaited raid…
Michèle: We all have the same way of functioning, the same desires, the same frenetic pace of life. Between an exciting professional life, two children, and training, you have to stay in shape! What is great is that our respective families support and encourage us: the spouses are more or less our coaches, and the children are proud of their mom. Key words: perseverance and team spirit. Our third teammate lives close by in Cannet and is called Hélène. We were very lucky to find her because we started the project with someone else, who did not envision this raid the same way we did. This person withdrew very late, significantly impacting our morale and the joy we anticipated for this extraordinary project. And Hélène ARRIVED! Same spirit as previously described and a fresh enthusiasm that boosted us again. It must be said that finding women willing to embark on this adventure is not easy. They all say: “Oh, it’s great, but not for me!”
NP: What do you do for a living?
Véronique: I am a Doctor-Engineer at Alcatel and a wife and mother of 2 daughters.
Michèle: I am an administrative manager.
Hélène: I am a nurse.
NP: Which challenges do you fear the most?
Véronique: Canoeing… And this year there are two canoeing events…
Michèle: The canoeing (about 20 km if we paddle without zigzagging…) seems to be the toughest challenge, according to the information we received from a competitor who has done this raid three times. But there are also surprises that can take us by surprise, like building a raft that must be able to transport us over a given distance…
Hélène: The challenges I fear: like the girls, canoeing because you absolutely must not fall into the water at night and I swim very poorly, I will slow them down!!!
NP: How do you survive? Do you feel completely safe?
Michèle: I have no fear, because the organization of the raid inspires confidence, and we have Hélène who is a nurse!
NP: Did your loved ones try to dissuade you and how will you reassure them during the 10 days of competition?
Hélène: I have no fear (but not because I am a nurse!!!! as Michèle says, but because the organization must be well-established…)
Véronique: On the contrary, they encouraged us, Mi’s husband is our “official” coach. He didn’t spare us in training. Reassure them? They envy us…
Michèle: As mentioned previously, our loved ones are ALL IN with us, they carry us, and we will surpass ourselves FOR THEM as much as for our sponsors! They will be able to send us encouragement messages that we will receive from the organizers every evening. They will have access to the daily results of the teams on the website www.raidamazones.com and will see from the ranking of team no. 49 “Charlie’s Angels” if we are in shape or not…
Hélène: No, on the contrary, all my loved ones encouraged, coached, and motivated me, and I am eagerly waiting for their encouragement emails once on site, they will follow our achievements on the website!!
NP: What is the budget and is it complicated to find financial partners?
Véronique: The budget is €9,000. It’s really complicated to close the budget. Companies are very solicited, and for our proposal to stand out, it takes relationships… For this raid, many small sponsors, often friends (who have a company) who believed in this adventure and wanted to share it with us.
Michèle: The budget is about €9,000. We prepared a proposal that we distributed to companies among our acquaintances: this was difficult at first, but this project appeals to enterprising people, they are impressed and want to encourage these initiatives. The first sponsors were “Les Pains de Provence” and “Pic’Pizza”, then the restaurant “La Terrasse” in La Roquette/Siagne. It snowballed, and eventually, we secured 12 sponsors for the entire budget. A report on our training sessions is sent to all our sponsors: it keeps them informed of our diligence during training. When we delay sending them updates, they remind us, which proves their interest and motivates us even more.
For all practical purposes, here’s the list of those who helped us: LES PAINS DE PROVENCE in Mouans-Sartoux, PIC’PIZZA in Mougins and Plascassier, Restaurant LA TERRASSE in La Roquette/Siagne, S-QUAD 06 in Grasse, FUN TOUR in Peymeinade, LOCAREST in Strasbourg, E. CANALE in Mougins, PREFAL in Mouans-Sartoux, ALCATEL and LECLERC in CANNES, and finally LIGIER and ITALU in Grasse.
NP: Finally, wasn’t there a better solution for touring Mauritius?
Véronique: No, I think it’s an exceptional formula… I’m not for vacations spent lounging on white sand front-to-back all day, maybe in 20 years… or after the raid…
Michèle: The original destination planned for the 2006 raid was BRAZIL. I confess that when it shifted to Mauritius, I was a bit disappointed because it seems to reflect more of an image of beach vacations under the tropics, while Brazil is vast with such diverse regions (Amazon, Rio, and Samba!…). But evidently, the ZBO organization finds routes with challenges that meet our expectations, even on a paradisiacal island: indeed, we will not be in the luxury hotel area, but rather in nature camping!
Once isn’t all, I appreciate “lazy” vacations in a dream place, but that’s not the same: you book and go. The trip ahead, we’ve been talking about since January 2005 and have been diligently preparing for a year!
Hélène: Actually, I didn’t choose the destination, but finally, it’s a unique opportunity to visit Mauritius, I’m not going to be picky???
