Eléonore Dumas from our French subsidiary Bilfinger LTM knows what it means to test the limits of athletic performance. She spent five months preparing for a special kind of sporting event: the “Raid Amazones“ competition in Sri Lanka.
Raid Amazones is unusual in many ways. The sporting competition takes seven days to complete and is exclusively for women. This year, it was held in Sri Lanka; previously in Bali, California or Cambodia – the venue changes every year. There were a total of 115 participants at the starting line in Sri Lanka. They had to demonstrate their prowess in various disciplines including running, biking, archery or canoeing – there was a different test on the program every day. In addition to the sporting challenge, the focus at Raid Amazones is also on the social and cultural aspects of the host country.
Despite the extensive sports program, there is still enough time to get to know the location and the people who live there. In excursions, podium discussions, cooking courses or games of cricket, Sri Lanka’s national sport, the participants got to know the local inhabitants and were able to exchange views with them. In addition, the organizers work together exclusively with local companies who thereby also benefit from the event. On top of that, event organizers also support schools in the region with material donations. The social aspect also played a very important role for Eléonore Dumas and her teammate Cyndie. Because the participation costs are very high, they looked for sponsors. They gave a portion of the money that they raised to the French organization “Rêves”, which has dedicated itself to fulfilling the dreams and wishes of seriously ill children.
Eléonore Dumas and her teammate had an extremely positive assessment following the competition: “We invested nearly all of our free time in the sporting and organizational preparation for the event. But it was definitely well worth it.”