Princess Tessy of Luxembourg took part in the 300-kilometre bicycle race “Vätternrundans” in Sweden over the weekend in benefit of her charity, Professors Without Borders, which she co-founded. This race is dubbed the “world’s largest recreational bike ride.”
The Princess wore the number 24444, and people could follow along with her progress through the RaceONE app. She concluded the race in 14 hours and 45 minutes.
She admitted the last 40 kilometres were extremely difficult and that she almost gave up due to pain and exhaustion. Tessy completed the race with tears in her eyes and said the pain was worth it.
Tessy told Royal Central about how she felt after the race, “I feel incredibly proud. This was the hardest sports challenge I ever needed to endure. I even cried on my bike while cycling because of pain, but I did not stop.
“I will always go the extra mile for the causes I believe in. Education is a human right.
“My pain will cease from this sports challenge. However, the opportunities and the joy the outcome of the sports challenge will bring to young people around the world through PROWIBO will keep on giving. Therefore, all the pain I endured during these 15 hours is totally worth as it transforms into hope for others!”
Photo: Tessy Antony, Princess of Luxembourg
“Otherwise, despite the incredibly harsh nature of this extreme sports event, the nature I saw was mind-blowing. I witnessed a beautiful sundown, a magical hour at 2:30 am and a beautiful and warming sunrise – just beautiful,” she continued.
She raised over £4000 for the organisation, and you can still donate by following the link here.
Professors Without Borders (PWB) was founded by Tessy Antony de Nassau, Princess of Luxembourg alongside Dr Caroline Varin and Majeks Walker with the mantra of “Educate, Inspire, Empower.”
The organisation explains on their website, “Our ambition for Professors Without Borders is to improve teacher mobility around the world so that every student can experience a dedicated, professional and inspiring learning environment that will fire them up for their next stages in life.
“Education, for us, is not just about learning. It’s also about doing. We want to inspire our students to confidently engage with the world and contribute to making it a better place, starting with their immediate environment.”
Princess Tessy will soon travel to Thailand with Professors Without Borders.
