Childhood friends Charlène Angenard and Sandrine Denoual-Blanc will compete in the all-female Raid Amazones in Sri Lanka from November 1 to November 11, 2026, marking their 40th birthdays with a combination of endurance sports and humanitarian outreach.
Childhood Bond Leads to a Sri Lankan Endurance Challenge
Lifelong friends since meeting at age three on the playground of Marie Le Tensorer nursery school in Louvigné-du-Désert, Ille-et-Vilaine, Charlène Angenard and Sandrine Denoual-Blanc are preparing for an international athletic test. Angenard resides in Saint-Pierre-des-Landes in Mayenne, while Denoual-Blanc lives nearby in Louvigné. To celebrate their upcoming 40th birthdays, the pair formally committed to entering the Raid Amazones, a multi-sport expedition held entirely among female competitors.
The competition requires participants to handle six days of intense outdoor exertion alongside roughly 300 other competitors. The daily itinerary pairs morning athletic trials—including trail running, mountain biking, kayaking, and archery—with afternoon community visits and charitable projects aimed at aiding local residents and children in the host region.
Founding May’Breizh and Backing Handi’Chiens
To organize their entry and channel their fundraising efforts, the two athletes established the non-profit solidarity organization May’Breizh in August 2024. The name serves as a geographic nod to both Mayenne and Brittany, their respective home regions. Beyond securing their registration for the 2026 expedition, the primary mission of May’Breizh focused on supporting Handi’Chiens, a charity that trains and provides assistance dogs free of charge to children and adults facing physical or psychological vulnerabilities.
That initial fundraising push yielded direct results on June 13, when an assistance puppy named Vogue was officially placed with Eluert, a young man living with disabilities in Saint-Brieuc. Having driven the community fundraising campaign, Angenard and Denoual-Blanc serve as official sponsors, or marraines, for the dog. Training a single assistance dog spans 24 months and requires approximately 17,000 euros in investments alongside extensive volunteer hours.
Fundraising Operations Across Mayenne and Brittany
Covering the expenses of an international expedition required sustained local engagement. The co-founders participated in numerous regional athletic events, including the Défi louvignéen, a local Color Run, and the Liffré semi-marathon. Alongside their running shoes, the pair organized food sales featuring brioches, sausages, and prepared takeaway meals.
With their registration budget fully secured, the May’Breizh team will compete wearing race bib number 86, a direct reference to their shared birth year of 1986. Their charitable work, however, remains active.
Event Format and Schedule
The Raid Amazones combines competitive racing with cultural immersion. Mornings are dedicated to tracking times across disciplines like mountain biking and canoeing, while afternoons shift toward humanitarian support, distributing school supplies, and engaging with disadvantaged communities. Since its inception in 2001, the event has consistently partnered with local child-education initiatives alongside the French charity À Chacun Son Everest, which assists children recovering from cancer and leukemia.
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