While the Cap 48 solidarity campaign came to an end on Sunday 6 October, with over 8 million euros raised, the commitment continues for Julie Lemarchand and her team. Julie, who works for John Cockerill, shares her experience of the Cap 48 100 km, an event she took part in for the second year running. Her commitment goes beyond simply taking part: together with her colleagues, she organised various sales to raise funds to support medical research, particularly into autism. The John Cockerill Metals team fund is still open and can be accessed here.
What motivated Julie to take part in this event was the team spirit and the desire to make a difference. ‘We had already taken part last year and the experience was so rewarding that we decided to do it again,’ she explains. To raise funds, Julie and the John Cockerill Metals team organised waffle and ice-cream sales, an initiative born of the realisation that spontaneous donations were rare. ‘We decided to offer something in exchange for the donations’, she recalls, recalling the success of these actions.
The 100 km, a physical and emotional challenge
On the day of the 100 km race, Julie and the Metals team decided to divide the kilometres into relays. ‘Everyone did what they could, according to their physical fitness,’ she explains. Personally, she walked 25 km, but some of her colleagues took up the challenge of covering up to 50 km. ‘I had prepared well, and in the end I found myself wanting to keep going. It was a really enjoyable moment.’
Beyond the physical challenge, the event was marked by strong emotions, particularly seeing other participants go to the very end of themselves. ‘There were tears, there were moments of self-transcendence. Seeing people cross the line after walking the whole 100 km was incredible. I found myself crying with them.’
This year, the team members made sure they never walked alone. ‘Last year, we did the relay individually, but that frustrated us. This time, we preferred to walk together, even if it meant covering more kilometres.’ This feeling of solidarity made the experience even more memorable for the whole group. ‘It’s a human adventure. We’ve shared some powerful moments, and that’s brought us even closer together.’
For Julie, one of the most memorable moments was seeing the participants hit the buzzer at the finish. ‘Tears were flowing at that moment. Even though it wasn’t my team, I was moved to see them achieve this feat. This feeling of surpassing oneself and of solidarity left an indelible impression.
To those who are reluctant to take part in this type of solidarity event, Julie replies enthusiastically: ‘It’s an adventure that gives as much as it asks. The human encounters, the support from the team, and above all, the feeling of contributing to a noble cause, are incomparable. We may only have walked, but we’ve made an impact, and that’s what counts.
See you next year
After the success of this year’s event, Julie is already looking forward to next year: ‘We’re ready to do it again and go even further. We hope there will be even more of us, and why not take on new challenges together?
