One Woman’s Story: Racing for Change

After 15 months of breast cancer treatment, Beatrice Evrard didn’t return to life as usual. Instead, the Sales Assistant at EDM Imaging set her sights on the Moroccan desert.

She signed up for the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc—the Aïcha Rally of the Gazelles of Morocco—an all-women off-road adventure that trades speed for strategy. Unlike traditional races, the winning team isn’t the fastest, but the one that logs the fewest miles while navigating to each checkpoint. GPS and smartphones are off-limits; competitors rely solely on maps, compasses, and their own instincts to cross vast dunes and unforgiving terrain.

For Evrard, the rally race wasn’t just a challenge. It was a way to mark the end of treatment and the beginning of something new. This was a test of endurance and self-belief.

Here, she shares her incredible journey—in her own words.

How did your experience with breast cancer inspire your participation in the rally?

Cancer and the rally are connected; it was a form of rebuilding myself.

After an intense 15-month battle with breast cancer that tested me physically and emotionally—and deeply affected those around me—I wanted my children to see me in a new light. Not to forget, but to move forward, to show them that despite the difficulties and the obstacles that stand in our way, we can keep going and keep believing.

So when I was told, "You can go back to living your life," I knew life would never be the same again. My desires had changed, my priorities too. A friend asked me, "So, now, what’s the one thing you’d love to do—something totally unexpected?"

I had this urge to challenge myself, to prove that I was still here, to feel alive again. That was when the first step toward [participating in] the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles began.

What started as a challenge became a true [act of] rebuilding, before, during, and after the rally. It was an incredible adventure, an emotional roller coaster, and a deep pride to have made it to the end.

How did you prepare, physically and mentally, for such a challenge in the desert?

My treatment protocol was heavy (chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, more chemotherapy), and my body had suffered a lot. I cannot say I was in top physical shape. My mind took over. With the doctors’ advice, physical therapy sessions, lots of walking, and the strong desire to push my limits, I was ready to go.

What was the importance for you of racing for the association Vivre comme avant (“Live Like Before”)?

Vivre comme avant is a [non-profit] association that supports women affected by breast cancer during and after their treatment. Having gone through it myself, it was important for me to represent this organization, to say and to show that it is possible to make it through and believe in yourself, even if the fight is hard.

What was the biggest challenge you faced during the event?

Managing fatigue and concentration. The rally is intense for its entire duration, and every day brings new challenges that you have to face. But what satisfaction and comfort when you finally cross the finish line.

What were the most memorable or emotional moments for you?

Following your route with just a map and compass, finding the checkpoints, managing to get out of difficult situations such as sand dunes or tricky slopes. But above all, it is about the exchanges, the sharing, the mutual help. It is an adventure that deeply moves you, sensations that transform you, and that amazing feeling of saying, "We did it!"

Once a Gazelle, always a Gazelle.