A member of Savills' French retail property team has completed a mammoth run from Paris to London, raising funds for a charity supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Antoine Vandamme ran 253 kilometres, the equivalent of six marathons, from the firm's Paris office at 59 Rue de Tocqueville to its headquarters in London at 33 Margaret Street, finishing the four-day challenge on Tuesday.
The distance covered by Vandamme matches the price in euros of one day's training at École de la Réparation, the organisation he and Savills are supporting. Founded by popular trainer brand Veja, it organises shoemaking and clothing repair classes for young people.
The training centre in Roubaix aims to help individuals rebuild confidence, gain stability, and create new opportunities for their future. The bespoke, 253-branded trainers worn by Vandamme during the challenge were designed and created by students at the school and Veja.
Vandamme, who arrived in London at 4:20pm on Tuesday, told CoStar News: "This was just as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Above all, it was the cause – and the support along the way – that stayed with me.
"There were tough stretches where you really have to push through but knowing so many people from our Savills network were behind me, and that every kilometre was helping raise awareness for École de la Réparation, is what kept me going. Crossing into London at the end was a pretty special moment."
If you would like to support Vandamme, follow this link.
