Raid Amazones 2022 in Sri Lanka: the extraordinary adventure of Élise Nussbaum

Adventure at the end of the world

Every year, the Raid Amazones, a multisport event (mountain biking, trail running, archery and canoeing) reserved for women, offers sportswomen of all levels the opportunity to live a unique experience in an exotic location.

“I started running with Les Mulhousiennes (women’s and charity run in Mulhouse) in 2015”, confides Élise Nussbaum. The following year, the young woman, then in full professional retraining to become a speech therapist, had a revelation. ” My internship supervisor, Françoise Lehmann, had participated in the edition of the Raid Amazones in Cambodia. She tells me about it and it’s love at first sight. I said to myself that one day, I will absolutely take part in this adventure« .

Reunion as a training ground

The following years allowed the project to take shape. Élise talks about it to Manon, a friend she met at the speech therapy school in Strasbourg. The two women then began to practice more sport and nurtured the common dream of participating in the Raid Amazones. In 2019, while working in Reunion, the two teammates took the island as their training ground. On weekends, they escape into the lush mountains to practice trail running. The name of their team “Zortho lé la” is also a direct nod to their experience in Reunion.

A human adventure with solidarity values

The Raid Amazones is a true symbol of solidarity and mutual aid. Although it is a competition, Élise does not put pressure on herself. “The objective is to give the best of ourselves and to meet our personal challenges. And then there is the discovery side of the population. Before registering, I looked for potentially negative opinions on the event because it was important for me not to arrive as a conquistador. But all the participants of past editions were delighted with the experience. I discovered that the Raid had a lot to offer the local population”.

The event is also an opportunity to support an association and to highlight the struggles and values ​​of the participants. Élise and Manon support the association Moutain Riders which works for the reduction of waste in the mountains and the ecological transition.

Preparation and sponsorship

Obviously, physical preparation is an essential step before such an event. “To train, we mainly practice trail running and mountain biking. I even took part in a run archery event combining running and archery, organized by the Illberg club”.

As for mental preparation, the young women rely on their friendship and the mutual support they offer each other during their training sessions. They also had the chance to talk with other participants living in the agglomeration: Anaïs and Claire de Sausheim who will also fly to Sri Lanka in March 2022.

Participation in the Raid Amazones is also an opportunity for companies to support a meaningful project. Sponsorship thus allows Amazons to finance their adventure and firms to display their commitments and values ​​in broad daylight.

Posted Saturday February 26, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.