AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS
People, moments and lessons learnt from 2006
Twenty years after the aborted 4Days Marches: three people who were there look back
In July 2006, the 4Days Marches were hit by extreme heat. Right from the first walking day, the heat put a massive strain on the walkers. It prompted a historic decision: the 4Days Marches was aborted. Twenty years later, three people who were there look back on that day and the lessons learnt since then.
‘Medically speaking, we were on top of it’ Janneke Gankema
‘The morning began like so many other editions,’ says Janneke Gankema, Medical Services Project Manager at the Dutch Red Cross. ‘A meeting of the various unit heads, and then on to the Operational Centre. There was nothing to suggest that the day would turn out completely differently.’ It all changed rapidly in the course of the afternoon. At De Wedren, more and more walkers came to the first aid post, while support posts along the route also reported unusually large numbers of walkers dropping out.
Around 14.00 hrs, it became clear just how serious the situation was, especially along the dike near Oosterhout. ‘No shade, barely a breeze, and the sun blazing overhead. People overheated and fainted.’ Additional posts, sag wagons and stand-by teams were deployed right away.
Great respect At De Wedren, regular blister treatment services were scaled back to make way for more intensive care. Besides giving first aid, the Red Cross also has its own medical services made up of volunteer doctors and nurses, who provided medical assistance here. They attended to large groups of walkers to prevent local hospitals from suddenly being flooded with patients.
‘Medically speaking, we were on top of it,’ says Janneke. ‘But it was clear that the circumstances were extreme. I still have great respect for everyone who worked so hard that day.’ This day ended up accelerating digitalisation, with faster reporting and better visibility of the situation, so that we can now adapt even quicker and more effectively.
‘This must never happen again’ Henny Sackers
On the morning of Tuesday 18 July 2006, today’s march coordinator Henny Sackers was a member of the board of Stichting DE 4DAAGSE and responsible for the start and finish. ‘Even though it was already unusually hot early in the day, the start went off without a hitch.’ The weather report did not give immediate cause for intervention. Wind was expected, and we assumed walkers would already have gotten used to the summery temperatures.
It was not until later in the afternoon that the situation changed. ‘Back at the start/finish location, I heard more and more ambulance sirens, but I didn’t have a full grasp of the situation yet.’ That changed when he was called in for a crisis meeting. ‘That’s when I realised it was no longer routine, it was serious.’
Deep impression The hours and days that followed left a deep impression on him. ‘What complicated matters so much was the complexity of the situation combined with the way we were able to get and share information at the time,’ Sackers explains. The decision to cut the 4Days Marches short had a major impact on walkers, volunteers and the organisation alike.
That’s precisely why 2006 was a turning point. ‘We said to each other: this must never happen again.’ Major changes followed: an in-house meteorologist, medical and scientific expertise, better monitoring, route adjustments, and more sophisticated extreme-weather protocols. Sackers concludes: ‘2006 was heartbreaking, but the lessons we learnt then will stay with us going forward.’
‘It was so quiet and hot there’ Eugène Schuivens
The first walking day always comes with a healthy dose of nerves, says participant Eugène Schuivens. Also in 2006. ‘You’ve trained well, but you still get up in the morning thinking: how will my body and feet hold up?’ The heat was not on his mind.
When a few unexpected splashes from a sprinkler hit his arm later that day, he was startled. ‘The cold water on my skin almost felt wrong.’ The stretch along the dike near Oosterhout that followed has always stayed with him. ‘It was so quiet and hot there; everyone had withdrawn into themselves to concentrate on reaching the finish line.’
Never again At De Wedren, Eugène heard the numerous sirens. ‘Ambulances were coming and going. That’s when you realise: the heat must be a factor here, but you don’t yet know how serious it is.’ It was not until later that evening, when he was visiting friends at the campsite, that the news began to spread: the 4Days Marches was going to be aborted. At first, he felt disappointed. ‘You’re gutted. After all, you’ve trained hard for it.’ But this was soon displaced by understanding. ‘An organisation has to take care of everyone.’
Twenty years later, his perspective on it has changed. ‘It was an exceptional edition, which we hope to never experience again.’ Eugène, too, sees clearly how 2006 has improved the 4Days Marches: ‘More hydration stations, changes to the route, shortening of the route on a hot day. ‘You can tell that the organisation has learnt from it. As a walker, I find that reassuring.’