Each year, VMI participates in a challenging sportive event to raise money for charity. For 2024, we have chosen the Ride4Kids Pyrenees Challenge. From 11 till 13 September 2024, 50 VMI employees will climb the iconic mountains of the French Pyrenees, such as the Col du Tourmalet, the Col du Soulor and the Col d’Aubisque. They will do so on a racing bike, gravel bike, MTB or as a runner or walker. With the goal to raise a much money to help fight and possibly cure metabolic diseases.

Ride4Kids raises funds to finance research and projects that contribute in finding medication and/or treatment methods that help fight and possibly cure the consequences of Metabolic diseases. The goal is twofold: to stop or stabilize the disease and to maximize quality of life. Research and projects include basic scientific research, clinical research, development of diagnostic and treatment methods, etc.

For more information on Ride4Kids, click here. This site is in Dutch only.

There are more than 1,500 metabolic diseases. The clinical pictures vary widely, as does the life expectancy of the young patients. With a metabolic disease, something goes wrong in the body’s metabolism. An essential enzyme is often missing, which means the body does not absorb nutrients properly or does not break down waste products properly. This results in serious irreversible damage to organs such as the heart, brain and nervous system. It can happen to any family, because the decline is caused by one small mistake in the parents’ DNA.