After making a strong impression in 2024, Team Adaptive returns in 2025 with a new ambition: to build bridges, both human and sporting, between athletes with disabilities and some of the most recognisable figures in global trail running.
With this goal in mind, the very first mentoring programme pairing adaptive athletes with elite runners will be launched at the 2025 edition of HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc.
The concept? A partnership, a shared story, a relationship of equals. This unprecedented initiative is designed to spark connections, encourage dialogue, break down stereotypes and raise the profile of disability in trail running through shared experience.
François D’Haene, Blandine L’hirondel, Hannes Namberger, Marion Delespierre and Manon Bohard are among the elite runners who have stepped forward to support a Team Adaptive athlete in their HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc journey.
“I’m delighted to be able to share the spirit of teamwork and openness exemplified by Jonathan and his fellow athletes. They welcomed us with rare generosity – like you’d welcome a friend. I’m proud to promote disability inclusion in sport, especially with the Trail Sans Limite team, who embody such powerful values. They are a true source of inspiration for us all.” Blandine L’hirondel.
“Having Blandine as a mentor is, first and foremost, a real honour for me. She shares her experience of elite-level trail running with me, and being able to talk things through with her helps me to picture myself at the CCC. I’ve had the chance to run some trails with her. We’ve talked about nutrition, recovery and her race experiences. I know I can count on her and that she’ll always have an answer to my questions – and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.” Jonathan Naboulet, Team Adaptive.
At its heart, this mentoring programme is driven by a simple idea: to forge stronger connections within the trail community. Every Team Adaptive athlete is partnered with a trail elite who has voluntarily committed to this human adventure. This is not traditional coaching, nor a one-way support system: each person brings their own experiences, uncertainties, and strengths – walking the path to the start line together.
Each pair is free to decide how and when to connect – whether through video calls, messages or meet-ups – there’s no strict rules, anything goes. What matters most is listening, mutual trust, and the unique richness of what each duo chooses to build together.
“After four years of using running as therapy in a constant search for the mental freedom my body has denied me for over 30 years, I now feel closer than ever to that extraordinary sensation. As a Team Adaptive athlete, I’m incredibly happy – but above all deeply moved – to be part of this mentoring project. It reflects a strong commitment to an inclusive world built on sharing, learning, and inspiring one another. Through this unique initiative, my difference will undoubtedly become my ‘secret strength’ to take me to even greater heights.” Claire Verzaux, Team Adaptive.
And bonds are already being forged. Some encounters have sparked truly meaningful moments, like the connection between Blandine L’hirondel and Jonathan Naboulet, whose chemistry was clear from their very first conversation. Far beyond the sporting context, these partnerships embody what makes trail running truly special: humanity, respect, and mutual inspiration.
See the full list of athlete-mentor pairs below:
| Adaptive Athlete | Elite Mentor |
|---|---|
| Alberto Estrada [ESP] – MCC | Martin Kern [FRA] – TDS |
| Claire Verzaux [FRA] – OCC | Fiona Porte [FRA] – CCC |
| Dani Aravich [USA] – ETC | Hannes Namberger [GER] – OCC |
| Fanny Barbara [FRA] – UTMB | Marion Delespierre [FRA] |
| Franck Derrien [FRA] – OCC | Manon Bohard [FRA] – CCC |
| Guillaume Pick [FRA] – OCC | Hugo Deck [FRA] – CCC |
| Jonathan Naboulet [FRA] – CCC | Blandine L’hirondel [FRA] – CCC |
| Julien Veysseyre [FRA] – CCC | François D’Haene [FRA] – UTMB |
| Maria Petit [ESP] – MCC | Marie Goncalves [FRA] – OCC |
| Nicolas Ronget [FRA] – OCC | Alexandre Boucheix [FRA] – UTMB |
| Paul Fontaine [FRA] – MCC | Sylvia Nordskar [NOR] – CCC |
| Pol Makuri Redolad [ESP] – OCC | Jan Margarit [ESP] – MCC |
| Travis Warwick-Oliver [ZAF] – CCC | Théo Detienne [FRA] – UTMB |
| Yanis Debaud [FRA] – UTMB | Ugo Ferrari [FRA] – UTMB |
