Step by step towards recovery: hiking and Social-Emotional Learning in Setcases
On 20 June, sport2live organised a mountain excursion with participants from its addiction recovery programmes, combining preparation for a major sporting challenge with the development of social and emotional skills through sport.
The group travelled to Setcases, in the Catalan Pyrenees, to complete the circular route connecting the Riera de Carboners, the Creu de la Baidana and La Creueta. The itinerary covered 8.76 kilometres, with 514 metres of elevation gain, passing through forests, waterfalls and mountain viewpoints.
The excursion was designed not only as physical training, but also as an opportunity to strengthen commitment, teamwork and personal awareness among people participating in sport2live’s addiction recovery programmes.
Preparing for the 100km Challenge BDN
This activity is part of the group’s preparation for the 100km Challenge BDN, a solidarity endurance event that will take place in Badalona on 11 October 2026.
The challenge offers 50- and 100-kilometre distances, which can be completed individually or in teams of two to five people. The event is held in support of AFANOC, the Association of Children with Cancer of Catalonia.
For sport2live, preparing for this challenge means much more than accumulating kilometres. It involves establishing a shared goal, maintaining a training routine, learning to manage effort and recognising the contribution of every member of the team.
Each training session becomes part of a longer process in which consistency, mutual support and small achievements are as important as the final result.
Social-Emotional Learning in motion
Within the framework of Edu4Impact, sport2live explores how physical activity can become an educational tool for adults affected by addictions.
Edu4Impact promotes the integration of Social-Emotional Learning techniques into sport so that professionals and adult educators can create experiences that strengthen emotional and interpersonal skills.
During the excursion, the mountain provided a practical environment in which participants could work on different SEL competencies:
- Self-awareness, by identifying physical sensations, emotions, personal limits and individual needs.
- Self-management, by regulating effort, managing frustration and adapting to moments of fatigue.
- Social awareness, by observing the needs and pace of other team members.
- Relationship skills, through communication, cooperation and the ability to ask for or offer support.
- Responsible decision-making, by assessing risks, choosing an appropriate pace and making decisions that protect the whole group.
These competencies are not addressed only through theoretical explanations. They emerge from real situations: waiting for someone who needs to slow down, communicating discomfort, accepting help, encouraging a teammate or adjusting an individual decision for the benefit of the group.
Turning experience into learning
The educational value of the activity also lies in the reflection that accompanies it.
Questions such as What helped me continue when I felt tired?, How did I contribute to the group? or When did I need to ask for support? allow participants to connect what happened during the excursion with situations from their everyday lives and recovery processes.
In this way, sport becomes a space for experiential learning. The mountain offers challenges, uncertainty and moments of discomfort, but it also creates opportunities to practise different responses in a structured and supportive environment.
The Setcases excursion brought the group one step closer to the 100km Challenge BDN. More importantly, it created a shared experience through which participants could strengthen confidence, cooperation, emotional regulation and commitment. Because every kilometre completed together can also become an opportunity to learn, connect and move forward.
