The second edition of KM de Confianza gets Lisbon on its feet
For the second consecutive year, MAPFRE has organized its KM de Confianza campaign, which is back for a second edition, accompanying 38 runners from different countries during the Lisbon marathon, where they faced a three-distance challenge to reach physical and personal well-being.
KM de Confianza has once again been a memorable experience that has changed lives, and we hope we’ll be able to enjoy and celebrate it for many years to come.
“When I was selected for this challenge, it took me completely by surprise and I really doubted whether I would be able to finish it. I had been suffering from depression for a long time, for different reasons, even taking medication and suffering from low self-esteem.”
“this challenge has literally made all this disappear, all of you have completely changed my life.”
Caring for your health and boosting your performance in the race towards your physical and personal well-being, as well as motivating you to reach your objectives, is the main purpose of KM de Confianza.
With this in mind, MAPFRE focuses on encouraging movement, breaking with routines and encouraging action in the pursuit of a better version of ourselves, with the focus always being on health and well-being. Hence the slogan “We all have the same starting point. Now it’s time to find your challenge,” which aims to encourage people to seek a path to a healthy lifestyle, taking the first steps to ensuring their well-being.
This initiative, organized by the Corporate Area of External Relations and Communication with support from the Corporate Area of People and Organization, was held for the second time on October 9 in Lisbon. The event had an international atmosphere given the different origins of its participants, with runners having traveled from different countries such as Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Brazil and Spain to run the marathon’s 42 kilometers or one of the other two possible distances: 8.5 km and the half marathon.
Runners included employees of the different areas and units at the company (MAPFRE S.A., MAPFRE Tech, MAPFRE España, MAPFRE Brazil, Verti and members of the Agency Network), as well as other external users, selected as part of a series of campaigns and local raffles in the participating countries. It’s particularly worth mentioning how much this experience impacted its participants, as most of those who ran the marathon distances asserted that the second edition of KM de Confianza had “changed their life.” The sense of achievement was the main feeling cited by runners, with many of them confessing how, initially, they did not believe they would be capable of finishing the race:
“When I was selected for this challenge, it took me completely by surprise and I really doubted whether I would be able to finish it. I had been suffering from depression for a long time, for different reasons, even taking medication and suffering from low self-esteem.”
Here’s where the most important effect and the successful achievement of this initiative’s objectives can be seen, with statements like “this challenge has literally made all this disappear, all of you have completely changed my life” (Julián Almeria, Spain).
KM de Confianza is much more than just running a marathon, with some people saying it’s “one of the most wonderful challenges that I have ever participated in” (Alfredo García-Almonacid Fuentes), creating “a huge family,” as the participants have come to consider one another, emphasizing the opportunity that this experience has given them to “get to know each other more; sharing so many hugs and seeing how happy everybody was when any of us succeeded; the incredible organization, prepared with so much love and care; and the guidance, affection and knowledge we received” (Dori Delicado, Spain).
there was an international atmosphere thanks to the different origins of the participants:
Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Brazil and Spain,
who ran one of the different possible distances:
8,5, 21 y 42 km
in the marathon.
Making the change to improve physical and emotional health
Reaching the finish line has been no mean feat. During the eight months prior to the marathon, participants devoted their body and soul to intense training, receiving support and preparation from four specialist professionals: Pablo Lucero, head coach; Germán Madrazo, motivational coach; Judit Abarca, mobility and strength coach; and Martina Rebull, nutritionist; with a view to ensuring participants achieved the necessary physical and emotional well-being to achieve their goals.
This training plan consisted of organizing and participating in different activities at weekends, which, in addition to influencing their health and physical preparation, gave the participants a unique and unforgettable social experience with the same objective in mind: reaching the finishing line in Lisbon and surpassing their own expectations while doing so. What’s more, thanks to the support received from our specialist coaches, they had the opportunity to attend talks to learn different techniques and to encourage them in facing everyday challenges.
For a number of participants, overcoming this challenge has made them consider other pursuits that were unthinkable before participating in Kilometros de Confianza. For example, Chaima Tmimi is now thinking about signing up for a triathlon! Montse Díaz, who had already taken her first steps towards a triathlon, doesn’t know when, but says she will “end up running a marathon.” While Dori Delicado, who lives in Madrid, now wants to participate in the half marathon on her home city’s streets in 2023. And congratulations to Sara Gil, who had already registered for the Valencia marathon before completing this challenge.
For most participants, this has been a unique experience and they have shared their satisfaction with the initiative through emails and comments on social networks.
Thanks to KM de Confianza, we’ve left behind sedentary lifestyles and habits that are harmful to our health, running the race of our lives with the self-assuredness and confidence that we would reach the finish line feeling healthy and satisfied, pleased with our achievements and motivated to continue making progress and overcoming the different stages that make up the marathon of our own lives.
“getting to know each other more; sharing so many hugs and seeing how happy everybody was when any of us succeeded; the incredible organization, prepared with so much love and care; and the guidance, affection and knowledge we have received.”
Thanks to KM de Confianza, we have left behind we’ve left behind sedentary lifestyles and habits that are harmful to our health, running the race of our lives with the self-assuredness and confidence that we would reach the finish line feeling healthy and satisfied.
Antonio Lorenzo
@lorenzuelo en Instagram
“The last few years have been very difficult. We’ve been through a lot, and we need things like this, special moments that put a smile on your face every time you think back on them. It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve done in a long time”
Alfredo García-Almonacid Fuentes
“I had never run before in my life, and it is true that we’ve had to adapt our body to running, changing our diet and our mindset, that’s what KM de Confianza is all about, how to change people to motivate them and help them achieve their goals, to take care of our physical and emotional health”
Mireia
@mireiasmile en Instagram
“I don’t know how to put this experience into words, how much I’ve changed thanks to it and the coaches who gave me the nudge I needed to shine again”
