“Alaska - Mexico by handcycle? Michiel did it!”

The new world record in handcycling was achieved thanks to the support of the Emilie Leus Fund and the Jan Filliers Fund, both managed by the King Baudouin Foundation. How did this happen? Well…

Ten years ago, adventurer and avid traveller Michiel Desmet was the victim of a bus accident in Thailand. From that day on, he was paralysed from the lower back and would spend several years in a wheelchair. He soon decided not to focus on the disadvantages of his limitations but to find ways to keep his world as large as possible, both literally and figuratively. “A wheelchair,” he says, “limits your world in many ways. And I didn’t want that anymore.”

After many years of intense rehabilitation, he could cautiously start walking again. One of the major motivations for persevering was the plan to break the world record in handcycling. Starting in Anchorage and then on to Los Angeles. With the support of both Funds, he bought the necessary equipment and booked his ticket to Alaska to improve the world record with a friend.

Once on the road, it quickly became clear that Los Angeles would not be the final destination. The life on the road, the stories of the people, the helpfulness, the beauty of nature… For Michiel, it could last even longer. The tough climbs, the millions of mosquitoes swarming around them, the bears they regularly encountered, the climbs, the weather, and the technical problems… None of it stopped them. After six months, they ended up in La Paz, Baja California. 8,559 kilometres further… with a handcycle. An improvement of the world record by more than 3,000 kilometres.

“The curiosity about different cultures, the changing nature, and the warmth of the people kept me going during difficult moments.”

Michiel talks about swarms of mosquitoes darkening the tent, bears standing on the picnic table a few meters from the tent, the search for water. With much love, he talks about how people spontaneously brought them food and drink, offered them shelter and a warm shower. From the Far North to warm Central America. From a bath in the cold river to a villa in Santa Barbara to a hut in Mexico. They encountered it all on their journey.

“I did it, of course, for myself, because I want to keep traveling. But I also want to inspire other people with disabilities. Your world doesn’t have to become small after an accident.” It is clear that Michiel is a man with a mission. He found that there is very little online about traveling with a handcycle and all the specific requirements that come with it. It was, and is, therefore, obvious to him to share his experiences. On his YouTube channel Handbike Packing, he talks about his world record, from start to finish. You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram under the same name.

This journey has changed him, as he expected. While he has been an avid traveller for many years, he now focuses even more on connecting with people during his travels. Real connections between people from all over the world. And he tries to carry that drive into his daily life. He also wants to keep looking for ways to travel as ecologically as possible. You don’t always need a combustion engine to have adventures.

“The only engine I had to keep running was myself. For that, I had to eat a lot on some days! Food that we sometimes had to carry for several days.”

His travel hunger is not yet satisfied. On the contrary, Michiel is almost ready to set off to break another world record. From sea level with the handcycle to 5,880 meters high… For this, he will fly to India in a few weeks to shatter this world record with an international team. And again, he receives support from the Emilie Leus Fund.

He gives himself two months for this adventure. Although he hopes to be at the top of the Umling La pass, the highest drivable road in the world, sooner. “I am already looking forward to the descent after all those weeks of climbing!”

Another challenge for him, his handcycle, and all the other equipment. Proud that we, with the King Baudouin Foundation, were able to help realise this dream, we are ready to follow this adventure closely! Michiel shows that an accident does not have to be the end, that you can evolve from wheelchair to role model and have an impact on so many others. Michiel gives others hope that you can still find joy in life after an accident… and the foundation supports this with great pleasure.

The Emilie Leus Fund

The Fund provides support to young traffic victims. Emilie Leus lost her life in a tragic traffic accident, caused by the reckless driving of a young, inexperienced driver who, after a night out, drove too fast due to overconfidence from excessive alcohol consumption and lost control of the wheel… For Emilie’s parents, it means a lot to keep Emilie’s memory alive, which they want to achieve through the “Emilie Leus” Fund.

The Jan Filliers Fund

For ten years, the Fund has supported people in Flanders who have sustained permanent injuries as a result of an accident. The support was mainly focused on personal development. The Jan Filliers Fund looks back on 46 supported projects. Each project was requested by victims of a (traffic) accident. The Fund provided them with financial and especially mental support so that they could get their lives back on track in a positive way. The family of Jan Filliers has decided to turn the page and has decided to close the operation of the Jan Filliers Fund after ten beautiful years.