Central Baltic Cooperation Challenge Wraps Up with Over 8,700 km Achieved!

From September 21st to October 19th, 88 outdoor enthusiasts from the Central Baltic programme area – Finland (including Åland), Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia – came together to participate in the Central Baltic Cooperation Challenge. Their mission: to collectively cover 1,450 km, the distance between the national Contact Points of Interreg Central Baltic. As the challenge unfolded, it became clear that, in cooperation, participants could achieve far more than anticipated. By working together, they not only met but exceeded their target sixfold, logging an impressive total of 8,711 km!

To further motivate participants, the challenge included several prizes: the “Cooperation Champion Prize” for the individual logging the most kilometers, as well as two additional winners selected through a prize draw among participants who logged over 20 kilometers. We’re thrilled to congratulate Nauris Inovskis, Mirjam Kangur, and Agnese Ranceva as the three winners of the challenge!

We asked these winners to share their reflections on the challenge and what cross-border cooperation means to them.

“To me, cross-border cooperation means building connections and fostering collaboration across different cultures and perspectives to tackle shared challenges. I was motivated to join this cross-border challenge not only to contribute to a collective goal but also to inspire myself to be more active and move more”
– Agnese Ranceva

“For me, this challenge meant that we all trained and moved for the same reason, regardless of who we are, where we come from, or our level of training. The most important thing is that we all improved ourselves, and we should all feel proud of that. We did something good for our health, and I hope we keep up the hard work. All of us were great and amazing!”
– Mirjam Kangur

“For me, this challenge gave me an extra push to keep moving. I’m glad to have contributed to building a healthier, more connected community, and I hope my activities inspire others to stay active too. If it helps even one person, I’m happy to have helped.”
– Nauris Inovskis, Cooperation Champion Prize winner

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the Central Baltic Cooperation Challenge, for your enthusiasm and commitment to fostering health, connection, and collaboration across borders!

For more information:

Viola Mickos
National Contact Point, Finland
viola.mickos@uudenmaanliitto.fi