Sofico Marathon Ambassador Program

With a lot of disappointment, I’m writing this last update with some unfortunate news.

Two weeks before the half marathon, I was hit by the well-known shin splints injury. During my long training run two and a half weeks ago on Sunday, I started feeling pain around my shins and had to stop after 8 km (I had planned to run 15–16 km that day) due to intense pain. Two days later, I went to see a doctor, who gave me a cortisone injection in the hope that I would see some improvement soon. I had to rest for four days after the injection, but when I tried running again, the pain returned after just 2 km. I attempted a few more runs that week, but it didn’t get better. on the contrary, it worsened.

Following the doctor's advice, it was with a heavy heart that I had to decide to stop. After all those months of dedication and training for this big event, it was a difficult choice, but in the end, I decided not to run last Sunday and to focus on recovery so that I can continue running again soon.

Sometimes, the journey is more important than the final destination, and that’s one of the key lessons I take away from this experience. The whole program was an eye-opener. It showed me that if you work hard and train consistently, you can achieve great things. I went from ‘not being able to run a full kilometer’ to running 10 km and thinking to myself, “Wow, that was a short run.”

The ambassador program also gave me a new way to clear my mind while running, and I’ve now made running a part of my routine. In the future, I’ll be combining it with cycling, swimming, and Pilates. I’m grateful to have been part of this program, and who knows, maybe I’ll try again next year!

I had a short dip after New Year’s with the bad weather, cold days, and too little sunlight but I showed perseverance and pushed through. (My mom always says that I got this from my dad, and I believe it’s true, I really look up to him for this). My dad cycles a lot, and for his age, his condition is extremely good and he’s in perfect shape. He often travels to Turkey to guide mountain bikers in the hills on off-road trails. He’s a huge example for a lot of people. He’s my biggest fan and supporter and always my first like on Strava. We are very close and in spring and summer, we spend a lot of time mountain biking and cycling together.

I’ve also received a lot of support from family and friends along the way, all believing in me, and that gives me so much motivation when it gets more difficult or when I start doubting myself.

Together with the Ambassador team we encourage each other and I also did a lunch run with Gerdy (a fellow ambassador) where I broke my personal record for my fastest 5K so far! I crossed the 10 km two weeks ago, which was also a huge milestone and in the meantime, I already managed to run 11 km’s, so I’m practically halfway there! From not running at all, to running 11 km at once, I never thought I was able to do this and actually I’m really proud on the road so far. It's all in the mind, right? If you convince yourself you can do something, you’ll eventually succeed.

We also did an effort test 2 weeks ago with Golazo Energy and there was already a big improvement in my fitness. I also lost 2 kg of fat and turned them into muscle. Laura & Aron have been guiding me very well along the way and that was also a huge help. It’s really great to see which progress we all have made and how far we’ve come already.

For me personally, the road has been bumpy with a lot of ups and downs due to some personal setbacks over the past year. But I always tried to stay positive and believe in the future. I gave it my all to become a better version of myself, and I think I can say I already made great progress.

The Ambassador Program with Sofico has taught me that anyone can achieve their goals, if you’re willing to work for it. That’s also a lesson that I will take with me in life, everything is possible, you just have to believe in it.

I started this journey after our trip to Greece this year, running twice a week with my boyfriend, who motivated me to run alongside him. The beginning was hard as I started from scratch, and I really had to push myself to go running twice a week. But I stuck to the plan (as I’m a true planner and giving up is not an option). I started by running 2 km at a time, often with pauses in between, but I quickly built up to 4 and then even 5 km without stopping. Each time, it actually got better, and if I can trust my watch, my condition has already improved a lot since the beginning. All those tiny improvements give you the boost to keep going and encourage you along the way.

Before our official kick-off day, I went running on a Saturday and even completed my longest run (almost 8 km, with my best time so far) in the hilly area of Herzele where we live. Another checkbox ticked: lots of altitude meters! It will be a challenge to find flat routes in the coming months. I thought I was already a little prepared for what was about to come.

On October 3, we had our official Kick-Off day with the team, and what an amazing day full of energy it was! We shared our running experiences so far, started with a morning activation session, and faced the dreaded “effort test.” Oh my god, that was really pushing my limits to the maximum! My heart was racing, and I managed to run 25 minutes, increasing every 5 minutes up to 9 km per hour. Another checkbox ticked, as I never thought I’d be able to run that fast for 5 minutes straight. But it’s all about mindset, right? 😉

The afternoon followed with a reactivation dance session (oh god, no, I can’t dance!!!), and we had a photoshoot with the entire Ambassador team. A picture with the ladies was a must! There are only four of us this year, but I believe we can really motivate and empower other women to engage more in sports and invest more time in self-care. Running has truly helped me clear my mind and manage stress! You really need sports to channel stress in daily life.

After Kick-Off day, I received my personal training schedule, and now I’m running three times per week. Sometimes it’s a real challenge to fit it into a weekly schedule filled with social events, work, household responsibilities, and, hopefully, some “me-time” here and there.

It’s all actually going better than I expected, and I feel like I’m improving each time I go running. It’s a fun way to explore the new region where we live. We bought a house last year in the village of Hillegem, and the views here are really amazing. We’re in the middle of the countryside, and after just 0.5 km, I’m already immersed in nature—one of the things I really like and appreciate about running. It’s low-effort; it doesn’t take hours to prepare to go running, and you’re exploring the area in a healthy, active way.

Those who know me know that I always try to stay positive and that I’m a focused person. Earlier this year, a dream came true, and we were expecting. Unfortunately, we fell from our pink cloud a little later, around 14 weeks into the pregnancy, and I needed a new goal, something to give me strength and to take my mind off things after what happened. The marathon for me is a self-healing journey. Making time for myself, practicing self-care, taking “me-time,” and becoming a better version of myself and getting in shape again are some of the reasons I decided to participate in the half marathon.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I’ve learned that you can’t control everything in life. But what you can control is how you deal with things and how you view what happened. The marathon, for me, is a way to cope with this loss. Wish me luck, because the upcoming weeks will require a lot of training and dedication, but I’m so ready for it! 😊

During COVID in 2020 when I was working at my previous employer, I decided to participate in a Strava challenge and to ride 1250 km’s in a month. I succeeded, and this is one of the things I’m actually still proud of today.

Allthough I’m not an experienced runner (read: I almost never run) and more of a cyclist (mountainbike and gravel), I was immediately triggered to compete to the marathon in 2025 for Sofico. I think it’s a huge opportunity that we can participate as an employee and Ambassador in this event and that we get the support from Energy Lab and the Sofico community to motivate each other along the way of this incredible challenge.

I started living healthier during 2024, with focus on healthy food and being more sporty spice. As they say, “mens sana in corpore sano” and I’m ready to take it to a higher level now together with all of the ambassadors to become a better version of myself. I’m not focused on a specific time to finish the 21 km’s but my absolute goal is to push my limits and cross the finish line with a feeling of ‘I did it’. And I truly believe that hard work and commitment will always pay off.

Wish me luck!