Meet our dream team and ambassadors

Ainhoa, Kicker-in-Administration, is the one who makes sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. She keeps our data sharp and our finances in perfect shape. Every supporter who wants to launch their own fundraising action (a sporty challenge, celebration or an in memoriam for a loved one) can count on her help, always delivered with a kind smile.

Alice, Kicker-in-Empowerment, coordinates our Patients’ Committee. She supervises their patient expert training and oversees their participation in research or patient empowerment projects. Interested in getting involved? Contact her via patients@kickcancer.org, our confidential contact address.

Amélie, Kicker-in-Projects, turns every KickCancer event into both a record-breaking success and an unforgettable experience. Éclair Day, Art Brussels and RUN TO KICK are her favourite playgrounds.

Annelies, Kicker-in-Communication, leads KickCancer’s communication efforts. Her role is key to our mission: raising awareness is the first step in fostering a revolution in how treatments are developed and healthcare is organised for young patients.

Arnaud, Chief-Kicker-in-Operations, manages the team of Kickers and oversees the foundation’s daily operations. He is committed to turning the foundation into a powerhouse and to building a caring, slightly quirky environment where every Kicker can thrive and happily kick for the kids.

Delphine guards KickCancer’s mission with the support of a kicking team! She oversees KickCancer’s activities with a sharp focus on research, advocacy and patient empowerment. Naturally, she is also KickCancer’s main spokesperson at conferences, political meetings and media interviews. Delphine won’t stop until the cancer monster is kicked far away for good!

Marine, Kicker-in-Advocacy, works alongside Delphine on KickCancer’s advocacy efforts in Belgium and at the European level where she collaborates with the team of Childhood Cancer International - Europe.

Nathalie, Kicker-in-Marketing, ensures our branding makes people sigh in admiration and our fundraising campaigns are terrific, cool and funny. Her goal? To raise so much money that childhood cancer doesn't stand a chance and children can live happily ever after.

Tille, Kicker-in-Digital, ensures our website includes everything you need to know about paediatric cancer and that it’s easy to find online. She's also our creative kicker, making those eye-catching reels and visuals that inspire you to support our cause.

She is a multi-talented singer, but since 2019 we proudly call Angèle Van Laeken the best godmother on the planet, kicking by our side for the kids.

From running with thousands at RUN TO KICK, meeting patients during the race and hospital visits, to launching her own tombola with her piano and unique prizes from fellow artists on International Childhood Cancer Day… Angèle has done it all to support KickCancer’s mission.

What’s next on her list? We’ll keep you posted. One thing’s for sure: Angèle’s charity record keeps growing year after year.

A huge, heartfelt thank you to Angèle and her dedicated team!

A talented singer, TV host and actor, Niels Destadsbader is a man of many talents and since 2021 also the proud godfather of KickCancer.

With his soft spot for kids, Niels kicks by our side as a dedicated RUN TO KICK runner, Delphine Heenen’s co-host during the ceremony, and a source of motivation in every RTK after movie. It has become a beautiful tradition for Niels to visit children, families and care teams in paediatric oncology units.

As an empathetic media favourite, Niels also uses his platform to raise awareness about childhood cancer — whether through a touching tribute to Delphine’s son in his NINA column, the TV quiz Switch, or the charity auction in Stukken van Mensen.

Thank you, Niels and Team Niels, for bringing so many bright moments to children and young patients with cancer.

The mother, founder, director and day-to-day manager. Delphine was successively a lawyer (Linklaters), a strategy consultant (Bain & Company) and active in the investment world of renewable energy (TTR energy). Delphine first supported Raphaël in his fight by, among other things, decorating his hospital bedroom with hundreds of drawings made by his school buddies. Since January 2017, she decided to change tactics and to move up another gear to fight childhood cancers by working full-time for KickCancer.

The father, founder and director. Gilles is an historian, professor and scenario writer for comic strips. In January 2018, a humorous play about children’s cancer, written by Gilles, was on the bill and a great success – just to prove you that yes indeed, it is possible to laugh about anything!

The stepfather, founder and director. Jean-Charles is director at Bain & Company where he has been working for over twenty years. To go hand in hand with Raphaël during his fight against cancer, Jean-Charles learnt all about European soccer tournaments and players, from the Premier League to La Liga – and decided to devote part of his time and energy to KickCancer.

The godfather, founder and director. Marc is a lawyer and partner at DALDEWOLF. After a difficult chemotherapy session for Raphaël, Marc brought Raphaël to the locker rooms of his favourite football club to meet his idols. On that occasion, Raphaël gave his favourite player some words of advice to win the next game… and guess what? He won!

The wonder director. Céline, trained as a lawyer, only worked in marketing in several fields (Bourjois, Shiseido and Fleuris Editions - Mardaga) before leaving for Malaysia where she joined the network of social entrepreneurs ‘Ashoka’ as a volunteer. When their 8-month-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, Céline and her husband Jérôme put their lives on hold to fight by her side. From the long days in hospital they drew an outstanding mastership in the imitation of all sorts of animal noises to make their baby laugh. Once Léonor was declared in remission, Céline looked for a dynamic organization where she could devote some of her time in order to meaningfully contribute to defeat children's cancer. Her encounter with Delphine was decisive and since then, Céline actively supports KickCancer in its daily activities.

Hélène has been a lawyer and in-house counsel for more than 10 years (Gide Loyrette Nouel, Liedekerke, Sofina). She currently holds a position as director in the medical field at ANBCT (rehabilitation centres) and has recently started an acting class. And she does know what performing is about: she spent days impersonating a clown to entertain her son while he was in an isolation room! When her 2-year-old son was diagnosed with a rhabdomyosarcoma, Hélène was shocked to discover that, despite her core beliefs, she came to realise that paediatric oncology is one of the least funded areas in medical research. Now, she wants to put her experience as a mother, lawyer and actress at the service of KickCancer as she wants to contribute to foster better treatments that are truly adapted to children with cancer, to whom she wants to offer a good quality of life once in remission.

Director, is a partner in M&A, corporate law and corporate finance in the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Brussels. Deborah supports the KickCancer foundation because she strongly believes that research should not leave kids' cancer behind and that children should have access to tailored treatments, which are more innovative and less aggressive for their growing bodies.

Director, is a director and CEO at Bain & Company where he has been working for over fifteen years. Christophe was very moved by the events touching his colleague Jean-Charles and his wife Delphine but he also felt the urge to support KickCancer because its mission does not only involve in pure philanthropy (matching donations and projects) but also requires a genuine strategy to improve the ways the “system” works so that the interests of children with cancer are finally taken into account.

Director, is one of the founders and executives of the quality food restaurants EXKi. Frédéric wanted to join KickCancer’s battle in order to support the desire of Raphaël’s family to turn an adverse event into a force of change.

Director, is board member at Telenet, SFI (Lux) and Matexi; previously, he had a long executive career within the famous Belgian brewer AB InBev. Jo is very keen to see cancer research making progress in areas where there is little to no commercial interest in doing so - as is the case in paediatric cancer research.

Director, started her career as a lawyer, then Chief Legal Officer with Etex and Tessenderlo Chemie. She was a consultant with Russell Reynolds and is now Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry. She can’t help it but she has a passion for connecting people - “it’s all about people” is her motto. In her position of director at KickCancer, she wants to help with her network and build connections in favour of the most defenceless population: sick kids! She cannot feel indifferent to children’s suffering as the mother of two sons! She has one dream - and knows she can: she wants to kick cancer away into another galaxy!