Since then, Alice for Children has remained an important part of our lives. We’ve shared our experience with friends and colleagues, encouraged others to get involved, and over time we’ve tried to give something meaningful back. In 2024, we helped fund the creation of a science laboratory at the school in Rombo. That same year, I also involved my company in the Milano Marathon by running a relay to support the “From Slum to Job” project.

The following year, I took on a longer relay leg, and this year I decided to tackle the full 42.195 kilometres. It wasn’t easy. The beginning of 2026 brought some personal and professional challenges. I arrived at the start line less prepared than I had hoped, and my fundraising campaign had not gained the momentum I had expected.

But I had made a commitment. Throughout the race, I kept thinking about the boys and girls of Rombo, who walk kilometres every day just to reach their school. If they can face that journey to build a better future, I could certainly make it to the finish line.

That thought gave every kilometre a completely different meaning. For me, the Wizz Air Milano Marathon wasn’t just a sporting challenge. It was a way to turn an experience I had lived three years earlier into meaningful action, inspire others to get involved, and help create real opportunities for children growing up in places where the future often seems already decided.

That is the true beauty of a charity race: in the end, what matters is not only the time shown on the clock, but the future that, together, we can help move forward.