From Lisbon, Portugal, via Gibraltar, UK, alongside the Spanish mediteranian coastline to Montpellier, France
In March / April 2019 I will cycle 2,500 km from Lisbon to Montpellier to raise money for zis. This is also the second part of my tour around the world by bike.zis awards study grants to young people. A scholarship costs around 900 €. I want to raise funds for 40 scholarships, i.e. 36,000 €.
About 30 years ago, two zis scholarships helped me to broaden my horizon, expand my understanding of what is possible, and develop more self-confidence. zis is a non-profit organization that has been awarding scholarships for study trips to young people between the ages of 16 and 20 for more than 60 years. Today, the word we use for tenacity and grit is resilience - and I've made it my profession, to help managers around the world to develop more of this inner power.
In retrospect, the experiences I've had on these trips to Scotland and Iceland have been priceless for my development. After having had a childhood with some challenges, I learned that I could cycle 1,700km on my own and get wet every day without despairing. I have learned that I was able to get along with only 300 € for 4 weeks and still had a good time. I have learned what it's like to be threatened with deportation and how to get an interview with the President from such a crisis. I have understood that limitations are primarily constructs in our heads, and I want to make these insights available to as many adolescents as possible.
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