So that sick children can continue to dream

From 15 to 30 March, RTL-TVI presenter Charlotte Baut will take part in the 23rd edition of the ‘Rallye des Gazelles’ in Morocco. Competing for the second time in this event, she will defend the colours of Make a Wish, a French association that helps wishes come true for sick children.

Charlotte Baut will take the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler alongside professional co-driver Antonia de Roissard. Their objective: to help wishes come true for children affected by serious illnesses through the non-profit organisation Make a Wish. ‘It’s the first time we’re driving for an association,’ explains Charlotte Baut. ‘Make a Wish has been doing a remarkable job for 23 years and we’d like to help them fulfill wishes for 23 sick children, through donations via the website makeawishsud.be. On the evening of the launch on 6 March in Brussels, two dreams were already fulfilled. The larger the donations, the more wishes will be fulfilled and the more we will draw on our resources to complete this extremely difficult rally.’

The Rallye des Gazelles is the only rally restricted to women. The course runs off road through the sand dunes of the Sahara desert. Without GPS navigation, participants rely on old-style orientation. Many personalities, including Adriana Karembeu, have already taken part in the adventure, as well as Julie Taton, a presenter on Belgian television (on RTL-TVI) and French television.

Three hundred women (150 teams) between the ages of 22 and 69 and 21 different nationalities will be on the starting line of this latest edition, which leaves from the Trocadero in Paris and ends in Essaouira, Morocco. This year the Rally has six stages, two of which are marathons. These ‘gazelles’, some amateur, some professional, will take on the Moroccan desert, driving entirely off road on quads, motorbikes, 4 x 4’s, trucks and other crossover vehicles. The participants do not aim to be the fastest to reach the finish line but rather to rally at the checkpoints of each stage by driving the fewest kilometres possible.