Queen Mathilde walked some 15 kilometres on Friday in Saint-Hubert Forest as part of activities she is doing across the country, on the occasion of her 50th birthday, to promote mental wellbeing through physical activity, under the slogan “Let’s move forward together for mental wellbeing.”
Four local associations active in the field of mental well-being through physical activity were selected to accompany Queen Mathilde on the walk, which started from the Barrière Mathieu, between Tenneville and Saint-Hubert.
The Queen, who was joined by King Philippe, took the opportunity to talk to local associations and their beneficiaries, including people with disabilities supported by the Andage not-for-profit association.
“She took the time to get to know the passions and daily life of each person, in complete privacy,” Aline Wirtzfeld, an educator at Andage, explained. “Our beneficiaries had stars in their eyes. They follow the royal family very closely. They even took the time to create cards and drawings for the Queen. It is a very rich experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives."
Other associations present included “Relay for Life,” a solidarity movement of the Cancer Foundation, “HOPE” (Health Oncology Program Exercise), which offers sports activities to cancer patients at the Libramont hospital, and “Fit Your Mind”, which encourages sport and physical activity among patients with chronic neurological diseases.
