Climbing Mount Toubkal with disabled young people
Michael, head of the Cherbourg agency, is one of the three 2025 winners of our agap2dream programme, a programme created in 2020 by agap2 to support and encourage our employees’ socially committed initiatives.
Michael’s ambition is to climb Mount Toubkal in Morocco with young people with physical disabilities on a week-long expedition scheduled for mid-May 2025.
Find out who Michael is and learn more about his project in this interview.
Promoting inclusion through a sporting challenge is ambitious: can you tell us about it?
M.G: I was hired in February 2023 to open the Cherbourg agency} in the Manche region. It was an especially stimulating experience. As Agency Manager, I combine business development, customer relations and, above all, management. I support my team, which has grown from two to four employees, not including our 30 consultants. I’m proud to be part of a company like agap2, which supports me in this great project while promoting inclusion!
Can you tell us more about your agap2dream project?
M.G: I’m embarking on an adventure that is particularly close to my heart: accompanying young people with physical disabilities as they climb Mount Toubkal in the Atlas mountain range, the highest peak in Morocco (4,167 metres above sea level). The expedition is scheduled for May 2025 and is much more than just a sporting challenge - it’s a real human adventure.
This project is being run in conjunction with the ‘Handi’Cap sur l'aventure’ programme run by the Alopias association, which has been organising inclusive, sporting and humanitarian expeditions for 15 years. Arnaud Chassery, a keen adventurer, is the founder of the association. He has accomplished a number of feats, including climbing Kilimanjaro alongside Yann Jondot, a paraplegic mayor who is now an ambassador for accessibility in France.
For five or six days, we will be travelling with a team of guides, medical staff and photographers to produce a report. To enable young people with disabilities to reach the summit, we will be using all-terrain wheelchairs specially designed for mountain walks.
What are your ambitions for this inclusive challenge?
M.G: First of all, I'd like everything to go smoothly and without any accidents. I can’t wait to see the smiles on the children’s faces when they get up there. My ambition is simple: to offer them an unforgettable experience, to prove to them that nothing is inaccessible and above all to share the experience of pushing back their limits and supporting each other.
I hope that this project will raise awareness and leave a real mark through this climb. I hope that it will serve as an example and inspire others to embark on this type of adventure. There is no difference and everything is possible if we believe in ourselves and in others.
Had you done any projects of this type before agap2dream?
M.G: Yes, when I was 14, on a backpacking trip to India with my father and brothers! We met a man who helped abandoned children and abused women. We were moved by their situation and organised a fund-raising event on our return to Moscow, where I was living at the time, which raised $7,000. The money was used to put a roof over their heads and buy materials to make and sell dolls.
How do you combine your role as Agency Manager with your agap2dream project?
M.G: Combining my role as Agency Manager, my life as a father and my agap2dream project isn’t always easy, but with a bit of organisation, you manage. I make time in the evenings and at weekends, although sometimes I’d like to have more. This project is a real source of motivation, it boosts me and gives me a goal. When something is close to your heart, you naturally find the time to invest in it. It keeps your mind constantly occupied. I’m lucky enough to have a good support network too, my family are fully behind me, my father even wants to take part in the climb and several friends have offered to help me!
Where are you at with your project at the moment?
M.G: I train in the mountains in France to prepare myself both physically and mentally. At the same time, I take part in remote organisation meetings with members of the association based in Morocco. We’ve already started equipping ourselves for the climb and are continuing to purchase the necessary equipment while fine-tuning the logistics.
At agap2, we are proud to support these projects, which bear witness to the wealth and commitment of Agapians. Follow the news and progress of Michael’s project on our Instagram account!
