Léo Maillefaud, a Bachelor student on the Lyon campus, has embarked on the crazy 4L Trophy adventure. With his team and the support of his sponsors, including INSEEC U., Leo traveled hundreds of kilometers over 11 days for a noble cause. Back from a beautiful human adventure, he tells us about this extraordinary experience.
Why did you want to take part in the 4L Trophy? What is this event about?
The 4L trophy is the biggest student raid in the world. The objective is above all humanitarian; we bring school, medical and sports supplies to the association Enfants du Désert. The desire came a few years ago, following videos, TV reports, and meetings with former crews who had already participated in this race. So I realized my dream by participating in the 22nd edition. During this adventure, we crossed France, Spain and Morocco and travelled more than 6000km on board the mythical Renault 4L.
How do we prepare for it?
The preparation was long, about 1 year. First we had to buy the car, then we had to find our future sponsors and finally we had to prepare our car (some changes of mechanical parts, new paint, sticking of the sponsors).
What role do the sponsors play in this adventure?
Sponsors play the number one role in our adventure, they are essential! Without sponsors, there is no race. Thanks to them, we were able to raise the entire budget needed, about 10k euros. We had about 20 sponsors. We would like to thank INSEEC U. once again for its participation.
What is your best memory of this experience?
I keep very good memories of the whole adventure (nights on the bivouac, landscapes, mountainous roads with the 4L…). The best memory for me is the moment of the handing-over of the donations to the association “Enfants du Désert”. Seeing the smiles and happiness of these children is an incredible opportunity. This is the highlight and the reason why we are doing this race.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to attempt the 2020 4L Trophy?
Don’t think about it and go for it!!!! Let him create his association, his bank account and let’s go for the 4L Trophy 2020.
It is really an exceptional adventure from every point of view, you have to live it to understand it. It’s a lot of sacrifices to make but it’s worth it. I would advise him to sign up for the Ambassador Day set up by the association because I think it must be wonderful to be able to meet the children in their schools and to be able to play and exchange with them.
I really encourage you to go for it!
If you want to discover more details about Leo’s journey, his path and his encounters, you can also take a look at the Facebook page he has created.
Updated 24 February 2022