The hike to the bare top of Mont Ventoux should take five to six hours for Anja Zuidema from Emmen. She is at the iconic mountain to raise money for the Toon Hermans Huis Drenthe, an organization that is committed to living with and after cancer. “It will be emotional,” expects Zuidema.
Tomorrow and Friday the annual event ‘Great Resistance Against Cancer’ will be held on the French mountain. Here, money is collected by cycling and walking for KWF Cancer Control and local initiatives, such as the Toon Hermans Huis Drenthe.
Zuidema will make the journey on foot with eight friends. “I’m participating because my husband is sick, he has cancer.” She has also lost several people to cancer in her close circle. “But we can no longer do it for that, unfortunately. We do it for the people who are now sick or who will become sick.”
Tomorrow morning, the group of hikers will gather at eight o’clock with their supporters at the foot of the ‘Ventoux’. “We stay there for half an hour for a moment of reflection. We have another minute of silence and we start at half past eight. It will be an emotional moment.”
The ultimate goal of the tour is to raise as much money as possible for charity. “I had bet on 1,000 euros, which I thought was a very nice amount. But I’m already at 2,480 euros.”
Recently, Zuidema has walked many kilometers in the Emmen area. “But of course you can’t train a Mont Ventoux in Drenthe. We have the Wall of Emmen and the VAM mountain.”
The temperatures in the south of France will be comparable to the Netherlands in the coming days, so the trip will be tough in warm conditions. “The temperatures will play tricks. The warmer it gets, the more difficult it becomes. But we are committed to it and we are going for it.”
What Zuidema and her friends do not suffer from is a lack of support, also to provide the participants with water. “From the foundation (Groot Verzet Tegen Kanker, ed.) They are in certain places. And of course everyone has friends and family around them who are also on the side, so that will be all right.”
The Drenthe group has been at the mountain since Saturday to acclimatize. “We’ve already been there once by car. Now let it start tomorrow.”