Our team
Curation is only as good as the people doing it.
Every listing on Santé has been assessed by someone with genuine expertise in that sport. Not a researcher with a checklist — a former pro, an elite coach, or a specialist guide who has trained there, competed nearby, or knows the region as well as anyone alive.
How it works
Three levels of expertise, working together.
We built the team in layers — because no single expert can know every destination, every season, and every corner of a sport deeply enough to do it justice alone.
At the top are our Sport Experts. They set the standard for their discipline — what a listing needs to qualify, what a good event looks like, what the community needs to know. They write our editorial, lead our flagship events, and have final say on any listing in their sport.
Below them are our Guide Partners — key figures in their sports with deep community connections, who extend our reach and run a significant share of our events. They work alongside the experts, and share the same responsibility for quality.
At the base are our Regional Members — invited community contributors with on-the-ground expertise in specific places. They verify properties in regions we can't always reach directly, and are personally known to the experts above them.
Level 1
Sport Experts
Former professionals & elite coaches. Set the standard for their discipline.
73
listings verified
25
articles written
20
events led
Level 2
Guide Partners
Trusted voices in their sports with active communities. Lead events and extend our editorial reach.
42
events curated
22
articles written
819k
combined following
Level 3
Regional Members
Invited community contributors with deep regional expertise. Verify properties in places we can't always reach in person.
33
listings verified
4
active members
4
regions covered
Level 1
Sport Experts
Former professionals and elite coaches who set the standard for their discipline on Santé. They have final say on every listing in their sport.
Marco Belletti
Road Cycling
Former UCI WorldTour Pro · 12 seasons · Girona-based
Twelve seasons at the highest level of professional road cycling, including podium finishes at Paris-Nice and the Vuelta. Marco has trained on every key climb in Europe and curates our road cycling portfolio with the precision of someone who's suffered on all of them.
24
verified
8
articles
6
events led
View profile →
Sofía Ramos
Surfing
Former WSL Championship Tour · Basque Country native
Eight years on the WSL Championship Tour, competing at breaks from Hossegor to Peniche. Sofía knows the European Atlantic coast at a level most people can't access, and brings that to every surf property and swell-timing guide we publish.
18
verified
6
articles
5
events led
View profile →
Lena Fischer
Alpine Skiing & Ski Touring
Former Austrian National Team · Innsbruck-based guide
Six seasons with the Austrian national ski team, now one of Europe's most respected backcountry touring guides. Lena oversees all alpine and ski properties, with deep expertise in off-piste and touring routes across the Austrian Alps, Dolomites, and Pyrenees.
31
verified
11
articles
9
events led
View profile →
Our standard
How we choose who joins the team.
Credentials first
Sport Experts must have competed or coached at an elite level — national team, professional tour, or equivalent. We check this. We don't make exceptions for people with big platforms.
Demonstrated knowledge
Before we onboard anyone, we have a detailed conversation about the sport, the regions, and the types of property that belong on Santé. We're looking for depth, not polish.
Personal accountability
Every team member's name is attached to the listings and content they work on. That creates accountability in a way an anonymous review system never can.
Ongoing involvement
Team members who go quiet get stepped back. The curation process is live — listing quality evolves, seasons change, and properties change. We need people who stay engaged.
Level 2
Guide Partners
Trusted voices within their sports with real, engaged communities. They lead a significant share of our events, contribute editorial, and carry the same responsibility for listing quality as the experts above them.
James Whitfield
Road & Gravel Cycling
Mallorca · Spain
Based in Mallorca, James has ridden every route on the island and built a following around honest, no-fluff cycling travel content. He runs our Mallorca group rides and helps vet new cycling properties across the Balearics and mainland Spain.
184k
following
12
events
5
articles
View profile →
Elena Marchetti
Surfing & Coastal Adventure
Atlantic Coast · Portugal & France
Elena travels the European Atlantic coast year-round and creates content at the intersection of surfing, movement, and slower travel. She leads our Portugal surf retreats and plays a key role in vetting coastal listings from the Alentejo to the Basque Country.
226k
following
9
events
4
articles
View profile →
Rafa Sánchez
Hiking & Alpine Photography
Pyrenees · Spain & France
Rafa has spent the last decade documenting the Pyrenees from the Spanish and French sides, building an honest archive of trails, conditions, and mountain lodges. He coordinates our Pyrenean hiking events and has verified more mountain properties on that range than anyone else on the team.
97k
following
7
events
6
articles
View profile →
Mia Chen
Trail Running & Mountain Wellness
Alps · France & Switzerland
Mia is one of Europe's most followed trail and wellness creators, but what sets her apart is her precision about where to train. She runs more events than any other guide on our team and brings a high standard for what a recovery and performance stay should actually look like.
312k
following
14
events
7
articles
View profile →
Level 3
Regional Members
Active members of the Santé community who have been invited into the curation process because of their demonstrable expertise in a specific region or sport. They verify properties in places the core team can't always visit in person — and their involvement is always endorsed by a Sport Expert above them.
Patrick O'Brien
Ireland — West Coast
Verifies cycling properties across Connemara, the Burren, and the Wild Atlantic Way. Has assessed 9 properties over two seasons, with particular focus on route access and road quality.
Ingrid Larsson
Sweden — Lapland & Jämtland
Nordic ski racer and backcountry guide who validates our Scandinavian winter properties. Assesses remote huts and lodges in regions inaccessible to the core team during season.
Nico Dupont
France — Pyrenees & Massif Central
Regional trail builder and enduro racer. Assesses trail flow, technical quality, and access logistics for mountain biking properties in southern France.
Yuki Watanabe
Austria — Tirol & Vorarlberg
Elite sport climber based in Innsbruck. Verifies climbing access, crag quality, gear storage, and approach logistics for our Austrian Alpine portfolio.
What this means for you
You know who checked it
Every listing shows which team member verified it and when. The name behind a verification is someone who has competed or trained at that level. That's a different kind of trust signal to a star rating.
The standard doesn't slip
Because our experts have skin in the game — their reputation is attached to what they approve — the incentive to let something substandard through simply doesn't exist. They'd rather turn a listing down than defend it later.
The knowledge goes deep
A cycling expert who has raced in Girona knows which climbs you can get to from the door, whether the road surfaces have been repaired, and which cafés actually open in February. That's the level of knowledge we're working with.
Think you belong on this team?
We add to the team carefully and slowly. If you have elite-level experience in a sport we cover and a genuine connection to a region, we'd like to hear from you. We're particularly looking for experts in climbing, mountain biking, and Nordic skiing right now.
Sports we're actively recruiting for
Climbing · Mountain Biking · Nordic Skiing · Kitesurfing
Regions with gaps in coverage
Scandinavia · Scotland · Azores · Corsica · Croatian Islands
What we ask of everyone
Deep sport knowledge. Real regional connections. Honest opinions.