Léman Hope: 2025, a year that opened new avenues

Léman Hope supports young people in remission from cancer by offering them Sailing Trips on Lake Geneva. Aboard our sailboats, they find a space to heal and rebuild their lives, far from the medical setting, surrounded by trained adults and a crew who have gone through the same experiences as they have. 2025 was a pivotal year: more young people, more boats, and more collective momentum. A year in which the lake became the setting for profound transformations, and then, a few weeks later, with Swim4Lémanhope, for a solidarity movement of unprecedented scale.

As the sailboats glided toward the port of Ouchy for the last time in late July, the lake itself seemed to hold its breath. The Sailing Trips Hope 2025 Sailing Trips were coming to an end, and the young people disembarked with that special sparkle in their eyes—the kind you see when you’ve regained your confidence almost without realizing it. This year, three Sailing Trips organized throughout the month of July, bringing together 71 young people—including 11 siblings—spread across 18 sailboats, six of which were from German-speaking Switzerland. Alongside them were 35 skippers and instructors—50% of whom were new—as well as a team of 40 volunteers on shore (logistics, support, medical). A true collective effort—discreet yet essential—ensuring that every young person could experience this time of renewal.

Because on board, something happens that goes beyond sailing. Many young people arrive with fragile strength, lingering doubts, and a feeling of disconnect inherited from their illness. Then, all it takes is a few hours, a rising wind, an encouraging skipper, and a crew that understands each other in silence for their shoulders to relax.

We learn to steer, to cooperate, to laugh without restraint. We rediscover a rhythm, a place, a slightly more solid version of ourselves.

As the days go by, the lake becomes a place of rebirth.

Those who witness this transformation never forget it. And it inspires us to take action. To lend our support. To help these young people go just a little further. That is how this other adventure—which defined the year—was born and grew: Swim4Lémanhope.

A few weeks after the Sailing Trips, Lake Geneva was abuzz once again. This time, it wasn’t sailboats leaving their wake, but swimmers. A massive wave, determined and united.

From August 27 to 29, 2025, 920 swimmers, divided into 106 teams from 46 companies, crossed the lake in a relay from Geneva to Chillon. Three days of shared effort, tight relays, and shouts of encouragement from both shores. This was not just another athletic challenge. It was a response. A momentum born from what Sailing Trips in young people: the desire to accompany them, to support them, to tell them plainly that their journey matters. Every stroke was a way to extend their newfound breath, to push beyond their limits, to say: we’re here, we’re carrying you, we’re helping you move forward.

Sailing Trips Swim4Lémanhope are not two separate stories: they are two movements of the same wave.
First comes the personal transformation experienced on the sailboats. Then comesthe powerfulcollective momentum that sweeps across the lake, ensuring that these Sailing Trips continue to exist—better than ever, reaching even further. As we close out the year 2025, one thing remains certain: none of this would have been possible without you. Your actions, your resources, your support, and your trust have given young people a space to breathe, dream, rebuild themselves, and be surrounded by a community that won’t abandon them.

And as the holidays approach and the festive lights reflect off the lake, there is something deeply symbolic about this wave of mutual support.
Because if the Sailing Trips exist, if Swim4Lémanhope brings people together , if these young people regain their confidence, it is thanks to this generosity.

🎁 Making a donation means keeping this movement going.

It means allowing a young person to come aboard when they need it most.
It means making a Sailing Trip possible Sailing Trip restores energy, joy, and momentum.
It means turning an intention into a direct, concrete, immediate impact, with every franc dedicated to the young people.
During this season when we give to bring joy but also to make a difference, your support becomes a true gift: a gesture that continues to make a difference long after it has been made. Thank you for keeping this wave of hope alive. It is beautiful, it is strong, and thanks to you, it keeps growing.