Hello everyone, I’m Alexandra, 42 years old, mother of two lively little girls aged 5 and 7 and married to Damien.
Originally from Clermont-Ferrand, I then studied and started my professional career in Toulouse. I have been living in the Landes for 11 years now.
I grew up through sport, figure skating, a sport that I practiced in competition. This sport was the rhythm of my weeks with training in the morning, at noon and after school and competitions on weekends all over France.
Very demanding sport, sometimes ungrateful but which has been a great school of life. I havea Master 2 degree from Toulouse Business School and I have been working for 20 years in project management in sports, image management for professional athletes and strategy.
I created my company 12 years ago, Wellinsport.
Stéphanie Barneix proposed me to manage the Cape Horn expedition in 2013, I accepted and I learned a lot about this very very difficult project before, during and after the expedition. I believe that it is during this project that I really understood the meaning of perseverance, of never giving up because we had to face each time complex problems, refusals, difficulties, … But we succeeded!
On the CAP OPTIMIST project, I have a double hat since I co-created the association with Stéphanie whom I have managed for 5 years and since 3 years as Expedition Leader. I am also in charge of the management and supervisionof about thirty people who work on this global project, volunteers, employees, service providers.
I have a role of conductor to make sure that all the commissions are going well, and that we are ready (by putting ourselves in the red from time to time) for the big departure. One of the othermain missions is toraise funds for the project.
No two days are alike, I have my to-do list on paper but also and especially in my head! I try to be visionary to anticipate, frame and make sure that the missions get done, with a little pressure from time to time 😉
I juggle between my job as expedition leader, the support of the association HOPE TEAM EAST in its structuring, the missions with the few clients I have kept such as the Fondation de France, the management of a coworking space in volunteers but also my role as a mother and wife that I try not to abandon! And also do a little sport to breathe, recharge the batteries.
This is my main struggle: to help others, especially the vulnerable. Hence the creation of this association. I’ve seen my mom struggle so much with illness for years, seeing her strong but fragile and vulnerable at the same time, that I made it a struggle. She has just left, I am sure she will continue to give me the strength to fight this battle.
It’s both mixing what drives me; sport, and helping others, trying to give them strength again, the desire to believe in themselves because the disease can destroy.
My biggest professional fear… I think it’s disappointing! I put a lot of pressure on myself in what I do.
I have total confidence in my team, in the rowers, they are capable of taking up this absolutely crazy challenge but I want to be sure that the partners committed to us are satisfied, that the people who follow us vibrate and live intensely this expedition.
My greatest success on the project: To manage to carry out concrete actions here but also in Peru and in Polynesia… Not only to say that we are a solidarity expé by saying that we support the sick children but really to be in the concrete, in the action for them, with them… I’m fed up with egos, self-satisfaction, I do for others, not for myself…
I have a great time creating content with our partners: exchanging on the
AVENE
seminar and find the right language elements, satisfy
NEWREST
to make sure that our event is in line with their communication strategy through sport, and to imagine local actions with
MACS
community of communes. I like to think, innovate, and above all build and maintain this relationship of trust with them and have fun!
My biggest personal fear… that I will be prevented from living life to the fullest with my family, my daughters, my husband…
My greatest personal achievement: having happy, smiling, fulfilled daughters! Let them keep this pep, this dynamism, and let them eat life! Live life to the fullest, go skydiving if they want to, discover the world if they want to, … I will be there for them and with them!
Help us keep the Super Optimist program alive
Make a donation by purchasing the expedition miles!
1 Km = 100 euros *
or free donations!
For example: by giving 100* euros my donation is divided as follows
*60 € dedicated to the Super Optimist program (sick children) and educational programs of prevention of health sports in schools + 40 € dedicated to the sports, medical and scientific expedition.