Matthieu Caplain (EXEC M07): “Support our battle against cancers affecting children”

Matthieu Caplain (EXEC M07) is the organiser of the 3rd annual Swim 4 Hope event, a charity swimming race on Lake Geneva raising funds to fight paediatric cancers. This year’s event will take place over the weekend of 2-4 September 2022. Read our interview to find out more about the project – and how you can contribute or take part.

ESSEC Alumni: Can you tell us a little bit about Swim 4 Hope? 

Matthieu Caplain: The idea of organising a swimming challenge for a good cause came out of a conversation I had with my daughter, a former synchronised swimming champion, during the first lockdown in 2020. A few months later, I organised the first event and raised 12,000 CHF for the charities Caritas and La Chaîne du Bonheur, which supported people who were struggling financially as a result of the pandemic. Buoyed by the success of that first event, I organised a second edition in 2021, this time a relay race which set off from Château de Chillon, near Montreux, and ended in Geneva, at the other end of the lake. Last year we raised 50,000 CHF for the charities Cansearch, Intervalle and Leman Hope, whose respective missions are therapy, well-being and boosting the confidence of children with cancer. In 2022 we are sticking with the relay format – around 100 swimmers will take a leg each of the 100km course – and the same good cause, but with an even more ambitious target: we want to raise 80,000 CHF for Leman Hope and Zoe4life. 

EA: What is the current state of play in the battle against paediatric cancers?

M. Caplain: Cancer is the disease which causes the most deaths among children. In Switzerland, a child dies with cancer every week. Two-thirds of those who survive childhood cancer will develop after-effects as adults. And yet, less than 2% of the funds raised for cancer research are allocated to paediatric cancers.

EA: Given this situation, what are the charities supported by Swim 4 Hope doing to help?

M. Caplain: Zoé4life started out as a campaign to pay for the treatment of Zoé, a little girl who battled neuroblastoma throughout her short life, and who died just two days short of her fifth birthday. Nowadays the charity works to support paediatric cancer care in Switzerland, to improve the lives of children living with cancer, to provide support to their families and to raise public awareness. Léman Hope helps children and teenagers in remission from cancer to rebuild their self-confidence and start living again, taking them sailing, giving them a taste for adventure and a great shared experience, a cruise on Lake Geneva lasting 4 day and 4 nights. It’s magical when these youngsters find themselves in a situation where everybody understands one another, where everyone has a role to play, where they can push their own limits, discover, share and just enjoy themselves in a safe, benevolent atmosphere.

EA: In concrete terms, how are you raising money? 

M. Caplain: Firstly, by collecting sign-up fees. Secondly, all participants are encouraged to raise donations from their friends and families, along the lines of “100 Francs or Euros per kilometre,” something which is common practice in the English-speaking world. Thirdly, anybody can donate on our website, via the Given Gain platform of by scanning the QR code at the bottom of this page; we’re counting on the ESSEC alumni spirit of solidarity! Last but not least, we have corporate partners who sponsor the event and also organise company teams to take part: don’t hesitate to recommend it to your own employer, or get in touch with me directly if you are a company director yourself. 

EA: Who can take part in Swim 4 Hope? 

M. Caplain: Anybody who is prepared to swim in open water – it’s best to have a bit of experience, it’s quite different from swimming in a pool – over a distance of between 500 metres and 5 kilometres. Sign up now!

Find out  more: 
swim4hope.org

Make a donation: 

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni