Protest FUN(D) Supports Belgian Initiative “Fou de Lilou” To Empower Children And Promote Adaptive Sports
Protest Sportswear proudly announces its support for the Belgian non-profit organization Fou de Lilou, inspired by 15-year-old Lilou, a dedicated sit-skier who, after a life-changing accident, now dreams of competing in the 2030 Paralympic Winter Games. With the support of the Protest FUN(D) program, the organization aims to break down social and physical barriers for children in wheelchairs while fostering inclusion, empathy, and the growth of adaptive sports.
Lilou’s journey began with gymnastics, but a serious accident in 2022 left her paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 12. Through intensive rehabilitation and the discovery of adaptive sports, she found her passion in sit-skiing, which provides her with freedom, adrenaline, and challenge. Today, Lilou trains three times per week, spends over 80 days a year in the mountains, and continues her schoolwork, all while preparing for the Paralympic Winter Games. With the support of the Protest FUN(D), Fou de Lilou continues to inspire and raise awareness among children across Belgium, showing that inclusion, joy, and adventure go hand in hand, and that physical limitations are only the beginning of new opportunities.
Founded by Lilou’s family, Fou de Lilou pursues a dual mission: enabling Lilou’s intensive training and travel program for sit-skiing, while using her story to raise awareness about mobility challenges among children and young people. A key part of this initiative is the upcoming children’s book Lilou - Het Zitski Complot, a story inspired by Lilou that will spark conversations in schools about resilience, inclusion, and life in a wheelchair. Beyond the book, the organization plans to launch interactive wheelchair courses in schools and youth centers, allowing children to experience, through play, the daily challenges wheelchair users face, from narrow doorways to uneven sidewalks. The goal is to combine fun, adventure, and education to build empathy and awareness.
Through the support of the Protest FUN(D) program, Fou de Lilou can now scale its impact. The €5,000 donation will be used to make the wheelchair courses mobile and accessible to more schools, festivals, and youth events across Belgium. The funds will also support the distribution of the book in classrooms, the organization of school activities, and the logistics of Lilou’s sports journey. The mission is clear: to show children that mobility challenges are not the end of dreams but the beginning of new ones. By linking the message to sit-skiing, the initiative demonstrates how adaptive sports can open up entire worlds of opportunity.
“Protest is a dream partner — not only for Lilou’s skiing ambitions but also for her story”, says Pieter Hens of Fou de Lilou. “Thanks to their support, we are getting closer to the mountains and closer to the classrooms. Together we are building an inclusive future where mobility challenges don’t stop dreams, but instead reshape them into new possibilities.”
Lilou’s journey began with gymnastics, but a serious accident in 2022 left her paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 12. Through intensive rehabilitation and the discovery of adaptive sports, she found her passion in sit-skiing, which provides her with freedom, adrenaline, and challenge. Today, Lilou trains three times per week, spends over 80 days a year in the mountains, and continues her schoolwork, all while preparing for the Paralympic Winter Games. With the support of the Protest FUN(D), Fou de Lilou continues to inspire and raise awareness among children across Belgium, showing that inclusion, joy, and adventure go hand in hand, and that physical limitations are only the beginning of new opportunities.
Protest is an international sportswear and lifestyle brand, created for adventurers and lovers of action. Whether on the water, in the mountains, or on the road. The brand’s mission is “to help everyone ride more”, with an emphasis on everyone. To support this, Protest established the Protest FUN(D), an initiative open to applications from non-profits, groups, and individuals. The FUN(D) focuses on projects that combine sports, adventure, and social impact, with a special focus on people whose lives are affected by disabilities, special needs, or life-changing circumstances.
Each quarter, Protest contributes €5,000 to support one non-profit organization through the FUN(D). In doing so, the brand helps turn dreams into reality and make sports more accessible for all.
