SKEMA alumnus' 17,000-km bicycle journey to raise funds for Coral Gardeners concluding soon

Charles Steinmyller (PGE 2017) is about to complete his 17,000-kilometre bicycle journey from Normandy to the China Sea. The alumnus is riding for the preservation of corals in partnership with Coral Gardeners, an organisation that raises young corals in French Polynesia, and SKEMA Alumni. In this interview, he shares some interesting aspects about his journey.

The last time we contacted you, you were in Iran. How has your journey been since then?

The geopolitical situation has changed a lot since we spoke last August, when I was in Iran. Armenia is under attack, Iran is in the middle of a revolution, I had to adapt my route because I didn't get a visa to cross Pakistan. Floods are currently hitting the south of the country, and this made it impossible to cross anyway. I finished the first part of my project after 10,600 km, from Cherbourg to Dubai, only by bike. I then went to Singapore to go up to South Asia and finally reach the China Sea. I have already covered more than 14,000 km in total and 105,000 metres of positive altitude difference. I'm starting to get into a good cycling rhythm, averaging 220km a day. 

Where are you now? 

I am currently in the south of Vietnam. I am staying with a Cambodian who fled his country during the Khmer Rouge period. It's the first time I've visited a communist country. Propaganda posters are everywhere along the roads; I feel like I'm leafing through a high school history book! 

Since I’m here, I decided to visit the war museum. This whole trip is an opportunity for me to immerse myself in history and better understand the current political and geopolitical issues. I now want to knock on the doors of China to conclude this second part of my journey. I plan to return to work in early November. 

What about the environmental objective of your journey? 

We have raised over €8,000 for Coral Gardeners! We still need €3,000 to fund an entire coral restoration site. That's the goal I've set for myself. 

You can help Charles and the Coral Gardeners organisation on this website (link). 

Follow Charles on Instagram. 

Charles is a brand manager in Geneva for the Procter & Gamble Group and has been on sabbatical since June 2022 to carry out his coral rescue project with Coral Gardeners.