The “Raid Amazones” event kicked off on March 12 in the Cambodian province of Siem Reap.
The 24th edition saw almost 300 competitors from France, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Australia and North America.
The “Raid Amazones” is a 100 percent female sports event where the competitors go on an adventure to a different exotic country each year to discover themselves through sports and travel and live a unique human experience that often changes their perception of life.
The sport disciplines include mountain biking between 30 to 50 km, trail between 10 and 20 km, and canoeing between 12 to 16 km at sea or lake and up to 20 km on the river in the direction of the current, as well as shooting with a bow on an 80 cm target at a distance of 10 m.
Raid Amazones is a unique event that combines sport, adventure & traveling around the world.
This year it is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is actively preparing for the 21st event.
Its increasing success is due to its human values: team spirit, solidarity, generosity, respect for nature, encouraging women to go beyond and above their limits and most importantly to discover themselves through sport and other people.
Established in 2001, Raid Amazones already raised its flag in French Guyana, Reunion Island, Mauritius Island, Kenya, Mayotte Island, Malaysia, Bali, California, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Each morning, for 6 days, the sportswomen will challenge each other in different types of competitions such as Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Trail, Run & Bike, Archery and Treasure Hunt.
All tracks are going through the most beautiful locations of the country, totally immersed in wild nature.
The participants go beyond and above their limits by helping each other to overcome the challenges during the races to cross the finish line every day and become new Amazons!
In the afternoon, the sport leaves space to the discovery of local people and their daily life.
The human challenge above all, the event keeps time not only for the competition but also for discovering the culture and traditions of the locals.
Since 2001, 4,438 sportswomen competed in the Raid Amazones.
The sportswomen are mainly first-time adventurers and the competition level is within everyone’s reach for one essential reason: to allow every woman to go and find her limits and try to exceed them with the support of her team and the other participants.
For each event, Raid Amazones randomly makes 5 donations of €1,000 to associations supported by the sportswomen.
Every year Raid Amazones supports one or more associations in the host country and donates school packs and school equipment.
For example in 2004, Raid Amazones supported the “Rebuild and Live” association in Sri Lanka and helped rebuild 51 houses destroyed by the tsunami.
In 2014, Raid Amazones equipped 700 schoolchildren in the Kampang Kleang area with school packs, distributed 300 books to Siem Reap French High School and donated $7,000 to the children’s hospital.
In 2017/2018 Raid Amazones supported Tina Kieffer’s association “All in School” and supported part of the admission fees for 550 schoolgirls and 120 association members in Cambodia.
In 2019 Raid Amazones equipped an entire school with heatproof ceilings and fans in Vietnam.
It also installed a water purifier so students can access safe drinking water. Raid Amazones also provided 4 other schools with educational games, uniforms and school packs.
Raid Amazones also contributes to the local economy and showcases local businesses.
Photo credit — ZBO
