On May 20, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Decathlon Foundation met (in visio!) to validate seven new projects led by our Decathlon employees.
It was an emotional day, during which members listened to employees from very different regions who, until now, had never submitted a project to the Foundation:
- Corinne and Séverine's project at the Lorient store in Brittany. Our two Decathlon women presented a project that will enable people with reduced mobility, particularly those living in nursing homes, to take advantage of scooter rides led by store staff.
Séverine: "When I was hired at Décathlon 23 years ago, it was Pascal, a cashier, who trained me, and I have very fond memories of him. Pascal was in a wheelchair and he always impressed me with his positivity and enthusiasm: never a problem, only solutions! A great lesson in life! In 23 years, I've seen the business evolve, and I've always been able to adapt to change: there's no monotony at Décathlon!
Corinne: "After our meeting with Alexandre and Simon from the collective, I started to pay attention to these little trippers that I'd come across from time to time while strolling along the seaside. (...) We think it's great that an association like the Syklett collective is so committed to helping people with mobility problems, and we're very proud to present a local project to you."
Aminata, a saleswoman at the Decathlon store in St Dié, has launched a project to help young people being monitored by the local mission to reintegrate into society through sport.
Aminata: "I'm particularly impressed by the project because I myself used the services of the local mission when I was young and just leaving school. Their support and help has enabled me to enter working life with confidence. The fact that they want to integrate sport and the notion of health into their training will bring rigor, discipline and a sense of effort necessary in their future working and personal lives."
- The first project in the Netherlands at the Arnhem store, dreamed up by Niek, Mario, Patryk, Floris and Remon. The aim of the project is to provide bicycles for local young people from disadvantaged social backgrounds.
Niek, running department manager at Decathlon Arnhem: "I'm not going to tell you that I'm involved in this project because I grew up in poverty, I was lucky. We weren't rich, but we had enough. Enough to go to a good school, enough to eat healthily, enough to go on vacation and enough to play sport. I'm involved in this project because I'm grateful for the opportunities I had as a child, and my personal motivation is to give those opportunities to children who are less fortunate. During my internship at the Arnhem municipality, I saw the sad stories of their poverty, and because of my deep connection to my hometown of Arnhem, I'm more than happy that, through this project, we can make a (small) difference for these children."
- Once again, this project is part of the Foundation's Sport Santé initiative with the Nantes University Hospital. Camille and Marie from Decathlon Treillières are leading a project for patients hospitalized in the hematology department (blood diseases). The project aims to improve patients' well-being through physical activity, in particular with connected bikes installed directly in the hospital.
Marie, Fitness department manager: "For me, sport is a way of getting away from it all, of forgetting the constraints of everyday life and of recharging one's batteries in order to move forward with one's projects! It's also a way of surpassing oneself, whether individually or collectively. The research carried out as part of the HéMA'VELO project is helping to show that sport makes all this possible. It's a goal that drives me, and it's one that immediately made me want to get involved with the people involved in this project, whether as part of my job as a fitness department manager, or on my own time. I've set myself the goal of creating cycling routes (alone or with teammates - during team events) that appeal to patients, and making them available to them thanks to Kinomap technology."
- Iza, Marlena, Patryk and Marta 's Polish project to promote sport in schools in their Rumia region to combat childhood obesity.
Patryk, team-mate at Decathlon Gdansk: "As a former professional athlete, I know very well the benefits a child gets from physical activity.
A child's regular exercise considerably strengthens and toughens his or her body (...) And thanks to the learning of perseverance and humility, which is always present in sport, the child develops a sense of self-esteem. That's why I want to share my passion for sport with other children and parents!
- The project by Decathlon Nordists Maxime, Marie, Valentin and Nicolas, who will accompany young people from Sport Dans la Ville (an association that helps young people integrate into society through sport) on bike outings in the region.
Maxime, Supply Decathlon Croix project manager: "My family and school environment have helped me to succeed in my studies and my professional integration. Through my encounters in sport (soccer, badminton), I've been able to see that not everyone has been so lucky... That's what motivates me to set up projects with Sport dans la Ville, to help young people and give them confidence in their projects. The bicycle is a symbol of freedom and simplicity! It's what enabled me in high school to embark on my first vacation with friends! I can't wait to share this bike trip experience with young people."
- An exceptional donation linked to the health crisis to enable 7,500 people from families in precarious situations to go on vacation with VVF and practise sport
Well done to all the teams for your commitment, we're so proud to be your teammates at Decathlon: see you on June 21 for new projects...
The Foundation Team