Hong Kong Four Trails: Virginie Goethals’ refugee charity is all-consuming, so a 298km ultramarathon is ‘mental break and a holiday’
- Virginie Goethals survives the epic HK4TUC and loves the experience so much it was a holiday from her work with refugees
Virginie Goethals’ work for her refugee charity Rebuild, Unite, Nurture (RUN) is so physically and mentally draining that she considers a chance to spend time with herself a holiday, even if that time is spent running a 298km unsupported ultramarathon.
Goethals, 43, is one of four women to have survived the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) over the Lunar New Year. The day after she finished, Goethals was straight back to work as refugees in Hong Kong needed her attention in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
“They do not have the means, it’s not like us, if the food price increases we can afford it. They only have Park ‘n’ Shop, and there is no food in Park ‘n’ Shop. They are hungry and they are lining up. Some of them are stuck at home as they have kids but no husbands to help, so we have to do home visits. We need to keep track of them every day,” she said, as she handed out food supplies to refugees two days after finishing the run. She had not had a break since the HK4TUC and there does not seem to be one planned in the near future.
“The HK4TUC was really a holiday and I massively enjoyed it,” she said.