Recipe for Monaco’s coolest charity challenge ever
By Nancy Heslin - May 30, 2017
To make the coolest charity challenge, combine a cause, like “drowning claims a life every 85 seconds”, with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation that was set up in 2012 to address “one of the greatest silent killers on our planet” by teaching children essential water safety skills and how to swim.
Add some worldwide awareness to the cause with one crazy sport event, the Riviera Water Bike Challenge on June 4. The 21-km relay race will involve ten teams of five, who will pedal on Schiller S1 water bikes, what Luxury Travel refers to as “This Bizarre New Watersport Is Taking Over the World”. The idea comes courtesy of Gareth Wittstock, Princess Charlene’s brother, and the choice of a relay is the embodiment of teamwork and team spirit.
Throw into the mix a desirable destination where the event will be held: Mediterranean Sea. The relay will start at Plage Nikaia in Nice and wind along the coast until it finishes at the Monaco Yacht Club.
Photo: Eric Mathon/Palais PrincierPhoto: Eric Mathon/Palais Princier
Spice it up with 20 major sports celebrities, say F1 drivers, rugby giants and Olympians – with two stars assigned to each of the ten teams – and have as many as possible be on hand for the entertaining team draw press junket at the Monaco Yacht Club, where they will take the shiny Schiller S1 for a test drive.
Paula Radcliffe, marathon world record holder
Simon Shaw and Dan Luger, both rugby world champions with England
Esteban Lozada, former Captain of RC Toulon rugby team and Argentinian international
Luciano Orquera, former Italian international rugby player
Mika Häkkinen, F1 World Champion
David Coulthard, former Formula 1 driver
Kevin Crovetto, Olympian gymnast
Pierre Frolla, four-time world record holder in free diving and ambassador for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation
Toss in a few choice team names – like COCC, Slammers and Monaco Police – for attention-grabbing Riviera Water Bike Challenge headlines.
Let set until June 3 when the teams will come together for the first time at the Monaco Yacht Club. Over a barbecue meal and beverages, they’ll discuss tactics for following day’s race, remembering the rules: one sports celebrity must start the race, and the other finish. The three additional team members, who will be following the water bike in an inflatable boat, can pedal as much or as little as they wish.
Mix all these together, along with a fundraising Gala that was held in March 24 at the Monaco Yacht Club, and you have a recipe for success.
The June 4 Riviera Water Bike Challenge will help finance the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation’s project in Burkina Faso. In partnership with the Monaco and Burkinabe Red Cross, they will transform the Monegasque Pavilion from the Milan World Expo 2015 into a centre to train lifeguards and swim instructors, as well as operate as a first aid and CPR unit, which will focus on countries in the West African region.
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[caption id="attachment_2326" align="alignleft" width="320"] TEDxMonteCarlo Advisory Board and volunteer team members for the MonacoUSA event Tuesday night at Amber Summer[/caption]
Organisers of TEDxMonteCarlo were special guests of MonacoUSA on Tuesday evening at Amber Summer. More than a dozen speakers from around the world, as well as from the principality, will participate in a TEDx conference in Monaco on November 26.
TEDx is a global movement devoted to bringing Ideas Worth Spreading to communities around the globe through independently organised TED-like events. Nearly 200 countries host TEDx events and videos of the most inspiring talks about technology, entertainment and design (TED) are posted on the internet, with more than 1.4 billion views to date.
According to MonacoUSA Director Annette Anderson, the November 26 event will be a prestigious event with global exposure and will reinforce Monaco’s message that the Principality and its residents are so much more than the stereotyped “bling and ker-ching!” image portrayed by the media.
