Team adaptive
Launched in 2024 thanks to a HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc initiative, Team Adaptive was founded with the goal of redefining the place of athletes with disabilities in trail running. As a natural extension of our inclusion policy, it aims to open the sport to all athletes, ensuring sustainable accessibility and opportunity for those with disabilities.
Who can join Team Adaptive?
Team Adaptive welcomes athletes who meet the criteria of our Adaptive policy — those who can run independently but whose disabilities make race participation more challenging. These criteria, whether visual, intellectual, or physical, justify the potential need for assistance to ensure a safe and optimal running experience. We continuously review these criteria, incorporating runner feedback to maintain a fair and evolving framework for all.
Assistance, if required, is primarily provided through a guide, offering support with safety, navigation, or direct assistance such as carrying spare prostheses.
All individuals eligible under our Adaptive policy are invited to apply to join Team Adaptive. However, applications for the 2025 edition are now closed.
Through the Adaptive initiative, individuals with disabilities or illnesses that meet the criteria gain improved access to our races. Team Adaptive fosters a sense of belonging, unity and collective effort.
Our vision is simple: one day, we will no longer need to justify the existence of Team Adaptive. One day, we will no longer speak of inclusion, only of sport. On that day, we will have fulfilled our mission.
Why Team Adaptive?
Three core principles shape this journey—both human and sporting:
• Normalising disability, not isolating it: Fully integrating athletes with disabilities into the different race formats demonstrates that disability is not a limitation but simply another way to experience and share the passion for trail running.
• The power of collective effort: Team Adaptive thrives on solidarity, mutual support, and the drive to go beyond perceived limits. Every step counts, but together we go further.
• Inspiring through action: More than just words, Team Adaptive proves its values on the trails. By embracing this extraordinary challenge, the team shows that passion, courage and determination transcend all limits and differences.
In 2025 Team Adaptive promises exciting developments throughout the year with unique collaborations and inspiring initiatives shaping the months ahead, all with a clear mission to permanently transform perceptions of disability in trail running.
Action rather than words: we want to prove on the ground that performance and passion have no limits.
Unique routes for a collective adventure
Team Adaptive 2025 brings together athletes from diverse backgrounds, including those with both visible and invisible disabilities, all united by their shared passion for pushing boundaries and embracing the trail-running experience.
Boris Ghirardi – Manager of Team Adaptive
Boris Ghirardi, 52, known as 'Robot Foot', transformed his 2019 motorbike accident and subsequent amputation into a catalyst for innovation and inclusion in sports. As Manager of Team Adaptive UTMB, he champions uncompromising accessibility to outdoor sports. He played a key role in developing adaptive equipment with the startup Hopper Sports Performance. As founder of the association Level Up – Beyond Limits, he supports amputees in achieving sporting independence. His message is clear: “Sport is the ultimate equaliser — every challenge should be within reach for everyone, without exception.”
Alberto Estrada - SPAIN - MCC
Alberto Estrada, 55, has Parkinson's disease — a challenge he has chosen to take on with courage by turning to trail running. He has discovered that running helps maintain his motor skills and alleviates the effects of the disease. Determined to raise awareness about staying active with a neurodegenerative condition, Alberto participates in numerous long-distance races. He embodies a powerful message: as long as you keep moving forward, nothing is lost.
Claire Verzaux - FRANCE - OCC
Claire Verzaux, 37, is married and a mother of three daughters. Born with agenesis — an absence — of the right forearm, she has found running to be an essential form of therapy. Having completed two marathons and two 80km eco-trails, Claire uses running to push herself beyond her limits and journey to the land of indifference. Her determination and passion for sport illustrates its magical and transformative power. After the MCC in 2024, Claire returns for the OCC 2025.
Dani Aravich - USA - ETC
Dani Aravich, 28, is an American Paralympian born with congenital agenesis of the left forearm. A former sprinter and Paralympic biathlete, she has found in trail running a new way to push her limits. Her dynamic approach and passion for mountain running showcases her determination and fighting spirit. She aims to inspire athletes with disabilities to explore new disciplines and chase their dreams without barriers.
Fanny Barbara - FRANCE - UTMB
Fanny Barbara, 34, is a French trail runner who overcame the total removal of her left lung in 2014 due to a neuroendocrine tumour. Despite respiratory challenges, she transformed this ordeal into a source of motivation, starting with short walks and eventually progressing to ultra-trails. Among her standout performances she placed 6th in the women's category at the Gran Trail Trangoworld Aneto-Posets 2024, and 14th at the Maxi Race Madeira ULTRA. Fanny has become an inspiring figure, sharing her journey through podcasts such as Culotte & TRAIL. Her message is clear: with perseverance, adversity can become a driving force.
Franck Derrien - FRANCE - OCC
Franck Derrien, 39, is a French ultra-trail runner with Asperger's syndrome. A vice-champion of France in adapted sport, he uses running to manage his autism. Franck has taken part in numerous endurance races, including UTMB World Series events. His passion for running helps him push his limits and find balance in his life. He enjoys sharing his achievements with his childhood teddy bear, Teddy, on social media, demonstrating that anything is possible despite disability. Franck has broken the 3-hour mark in marathons and completed 100km races in under 10 hours. His determination and love for trail running have led him to finish demanding races such as the Ultra Tour des 4 Massifs (Ut4M) and the Trail du Caroux. He is also a strong advocate for the inclusion of autistic individuals in sport. Finisher of the MCC 2024, Franck will be at the start of the OCC 2025.
Guillaume Pick - FRANCE - OCC
Guillaume Pick, 44, is passionate about trail running and exploration. Deaf from birth, he is fluent in French Sign Language. For over 10 years he has distinguished himself through his determination, endurance and mental strength. Guillaume never gives up and faces every challenge with a smile, proving that hearing impairment does not prevent him from fully embracing his passion for trail running. After completing the UTMB in 2024, Guillaume will be at the start of the OCC 2025.
Jonathan Naboulet - FRANCE - CCC
Jonathan Naboulet, 31, is a mountain and adventure enthusiast from Couserans in Ariège. Despite a rugby accident that left him tetraplegic, he never lost his love for the great outdoors. Determined to experience the unique sensations of the trails again, he has taken on a major challenge: participating in the CCC with his friends using a joëlette. Through the association Trail Sans Limite, which he co-founded, Jonathan and his team aim to show that the mountains are accessible to all, no matter the obstacles. This collective project, driven by the strength of friendship and a shared passion for trail running, embodies resilience and the spirit of adventure that has always defined Jonathan. After the OCC 2024, Jonathan and his team will be at the start of the CCC 2025!
Julien Veysseyre - FRANCE - CCC
Julien Veysseyre, 37, lives in Clermont-Ferrand and is a father of two. After a workplace accident at 18 led to a below-the-knee amputation, he found sport to be an escape and a way to push himself. Cross-triathlon world champion in 2023, Julien has been competing on the international circuit for three years. His goal is to complete an ultra-trail, and he hopes to inspire others facing challenges through his achievements. Finisher of the MCC in 2024, Julien will be at the start of the CCC 2025!
Maria Petit - ESPAGNE - ETC
Maria Petit, 35, is a blind Catalan athlete who has pushed the boundaries of possibility in both running and mountaineering. Despite her blindness, she has summited peaks such as Aneto (3,404m) and Kilimanjaro (5,895m). Maria uses a directional bar to run in the mountains, a technique that has enabled her to participate in races like the Behobia-San Sebastián and the Trail Gorbeia Suzien. Her message is clear: "I am a blind person, full stop." She inspires with her determination not to let her disability define her limits.
Nicolas Ronget - FRANCE - OCC
Nicolas Ronget, 30, is a physiotherapist from Lyon and visually impaired from birth. Passionate about sport, he discovered trail running in 2021 and immediately dedicated himself to it, finding an immense sense of freedom in the discipline. Determined to promote disability inclusion in trail running, Nicolas aims to complete ultra races and dreams of seeing para-athlete categories in competitions. A true competitor at heart, he sets no limits for himself. After a DNF at the OCC 2024, Nicolas will be back in 2025!
Paul Fontaine - FRANCE - MCC
Paul Fontaine, 34, lives with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system. Despite respiratory constraints, he took up running as a way to challenge the disease and showcase the body's ability to adapt. A regular participant in ultra-trails, Paul proves that with discipline and a strong mindset, nothing is impossible. His commitment to sport is also a message of hope for others living with cystic fibrosis.
Pol Makuri Redolad Garcia - ESPAGNE - OCC
Pol Makuri Redolad Garcia, 33, is a Spanish Paralympian born with hemiparesis, a weakness or inability to move one side of the body. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he has taken part in mountaineering, roller hockey, cross-country skiing and mountain running. A competitor in the SkyRunning World Series and the Golden Trail World Series, Pol recently competed in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games in cross-country skiing. His love for the mountains and competitive spirit drive him. This year, Pol also completed the Oman Desert Marathon, a gruelling 165km stage race through the Omani desert, further demonstrating his exceptional determination and endurance. Finisher of the MCC 2024, Pol will be at the start of the OCC 2025.
Travis Warwick-Oliver - AFRIQUE DU SUD - CCC
Travis Warwick-Oliver, 31, is a South African below-the-knee amputee following a serious motorbike accident three and a half years ago. Running, a passion that began before his accident, has become a crucial part of his life post-amputation. Founder of the non-profit organisation Rejuvenate SA, he provides mobility aids to those in need in South Africa. Passionate about mountain races, Travis finds his optimal pace after 30km, showcasing his resilience and love for trail running.
Yanis Debaud - FRANCE - UTMB
Yanis Debaud, 27, is a former Rugby Club Nîmes player who suffered a severe accident that left him unable to walk normally. Faced with this challenge, he found in running a new way to push himself and redefine his limits.
