"Step out of your comfort zone" to help the most disadvantaged children. This was the objective of the swimming marathon organized by Carole Bam, coach of the Belgian Cheetahs (women's 4x400 meter relay team) and "Give and take" of the Ladbrokes Foundation, in aid of Viva for Life. About 40 Belgian high level athletes (or those who have already practiced their discipline in Belgium) met on Thursday evening in the swimming pool of the Poseidon sports complex in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. In a good, friendly and musical atmosphere, athletes, cyclists, footballers... took up the challenge of swimming and marching together for a good cause.

"It is very rare in Belgium to have the possibility to gather so many different sportsmen", explains Jean-François Lenvain, ultra-marathoner and host of the evening. Head of the Ladbrokes Foundation, he coaches athletes in their development and helps them prepare their post-career. "We have created the 'Give and take' concept which allows high level athletes to invest socially and enrich their lives beyond their sport. We have about 20 ambassadors and since last year, we have organized an annual event to benefit Viva for Life."

Close to Jean-François Lenvain, Nicolas Frutos put on his swimsuit and cap. The former Anderlecht player and coach is now Wayne Rooney's assistant at Washington (DC United). He returned from the United States the day before but was keen to participate despite the time difference: "Jean-François Lenvain is a friend I knew when I was at Anderlecht. This is not the first time he has invited me and it is always a pleasure to be able to be present. I liked to swim when I was a kid. But then I chose soccer. I did about 10 laps but it's been 24 years since I swam so it was tiring (laughs)."

Fortunately, he wasn't alone in achieving the goal. With several fun challenges, including being hooked up to one, three or ten partners, the one-day swimmers symbolically completed a total of about 1,680 lengths (of 25 meters) in two hours, or the equivalent of 42 kilometers... a swimming marathon. At the edge of the big pool, they also competed on the reflex machine, the one used by car drivers to improve their reaction time.

Once the night fell, probably the most expected moment, the champions paraded on the red carpet around the small pool. They were all dressed by the brand of Carole Bam, who is also a stylist. Cynthia Bolingo appeared first, accompanied by Anderlecht midfielder Adrien Trebel (who did not swim because of his shoulder injury). The sprinter is very committed: "Too many families live in discomfort. One child out of four is below the poverty line. That's why we, as athletes, have agreed to step out of our comfort zone to collect donations. With these funds, we hope that every human can live with dignity, no matter what social class they belong to."

A raffle was also organized in this sense. A jersey of Arnaud Bodart (goalkeeper of Standard) and a racket of Zizou Bergs were among the prizes won. The different sponsors allowed Ladbrokes to collect the symbolic sum of 4219,5 euros during this evening. It is not yet known what the challenges will be next year, but one thing is certain: the sportsmen are already looking forward to the next event.