Marathon des sables

On April 9, 2021, Helder’s life was turned upside down when his father, role model and hero, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In just six months, he was gone, leaving an immense void. But in the face of this pain, Helder decided to turn his grief into action to honor his father’s extraordinary life.

He decided to take on a major challenge: to take part in the Marathon des Sables, one of the world’s most extreme races. 250 kilometers across the Moroccan desert, self-supporting, over a period of seven days. It wasn’t just a race for Helder, but a way of paying tribute to his father, pushing back his own limits and continuing his fight against this devastating disease.

The marathon was a true test of mental and physical strength. Every step, in the scorching desert heat and across the endless dunes, was an opportunity to feel closer to his father and pay tribute to him.

But the aim of the race went far beyond the sporting event: Helder was also keen to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. The funds raised were donated to three leading organizations fighting to improve treatment and prevention: the Champalimaud Foundation, the ARC Foundation and the ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research).

This marathon was not just an adventure, but an act of love, memory and resistance in the face of this disease. Today, Helder looks back on this challenge with deep gratitude. The marathon was just the first step in the adventure of the trail running team.