by Charlotte Horne
When you sign up for Coastrek, you expect stunning views, unforgettable moments and a day spent laughing with your nearest and dearest. What you don’t always expect is the deep emotional journey that unfolds along the trail – the kind that connects purpose with healing, grief with growth, and footsteps with something far bigger than the kilometers.
At Coastrek Margaret River 2025, Marie, Hanna and Kendie from Team WonderFrenchies walked not just for themselves, but for someone they loved deeply – a bright friend whose life ended far too soon. Their story is a reminder of why we walk, why community matters, and why honouring the people we’ve lost can shape the way we move forward.
A Solar Friend Gone Too Soon
In May 2024, their close friend Gregoire, took his own life after years of private struggles – a heartbreak none of them ever imagined possible.
“He was what we call a solar person” Marie shared.
“Everyone loved him and would gravitate towards him with the biggest smile.”
Losing him shattered their world. In the months that followed, grief arrived in waves – confusion, guilt, the questions that never quite get answered. But alongside the pain came a quiet resolve: to live in a way that honoured the joy, warmth, and spirit Gregoire brought into their lives.
A Journey Taken For Him
Since his passing, Marie began taking on challenges – races, events, anything that allowed her to channel his belief in her.
“Gregoire always said I was a warrior and could do anything.”
So when Hanna, Kendie and Marie came across Coastrek, it instantly felt right. Not just a physical challenge, but one with meaning, heart, and a mission anchored in mental wellbeing.
For Hanna, it was the perfect adventure at her level.
For Kendie, it was a cause worth championing.
For all of them, it became a tribute.
They walked for friendship.
They walked for healing.
They walked for Gregoire.
A Sign from the Trail
And then - one of those perfect, serendipitous Coastrek moments. Along the Margaret River coastline, Kendie spotted a sign. Point Picquet. Gregoire’s surname? Piquet. Missing only a single letter.
“At the sight of it, we just laughed,” Marie said.
It felt gentle. Timely. Like a hello from him, right when they needed it most.
These are the moments Coastrek is full of – little reminders that nature has a way of holding us, nudging us, and returning us to ourselves.
Walking Toward Healing
For Team WonderFrenchies, Coastrek wasn’t just kilometers completed.
It was love in notion.
It was friendship stitched back together on a rugged coastline.
It was grief honoured in the open air.
It was their way of saying: You mattered. You still matter. We carry you with us.
Their story is a powerful reminder that everyone on the trail walks for a reason, with purpose. Some spoken, some quiet, some deeply personal.
And in walking together, we make space for healing, connection, and hope.
Further information is available here: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support
Or contact the Beyond Blue 24/7 Support Service on 1300 22 46 36.
Charlotte is Coastrek’s Resident Content Expert and creative storyteller. She spends her days writing, editing, and shaping Coastrek’s voice online, crafting stories that inspire people to lace up and get outside. By weekend she’s usually exploring, scribbling ideas into a notebook or plotting her next outdoor adventure – ideally with fresh air in her lungs and a strong coffee in hand.
