Chris Mullie, owner and descendant of Marcella, talks about the miracle of Ledegem.
Monté means ‘mountain’. The highest point here is 21 metres above sea level, so it’s a tiny little hill. My family story begins in 1908. That was when my grandfather Marcel was born.
And three years later, in 1911, he became an orphan. He lost both his parents. Fortunately, the Feys family came along.
Oscar, a young man, and Van Orinne, a young woman, brother and sister, decided to adopt little Marcel. Marcel was raised in a house near the Feys family. In a well-to-do family.
At some point, he discovered love. He met Marcella. And in 1936, they decided to tie the knot.
Oscar and Van Orinne were over the moon. They decided to give this farm to Marcel and Marcella as a wedding gift. That is how the story of that farm begins.
But by 1948, life as they knew it was effectively over, as Marcel fell terminally ill. And Oscar and Honorine made a vow. Should a miracle occur, they would build a little chapel dedicated to Mary. Marcel pulled through and in 1949 he was declared cured.
Oscar and Honorine built this beautiful little Marian chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. As a small child, I used to come here regularly to visit my grandparents.
I still remember the time when I used to go to the little chapel with Marcella to light a candle now and then. Oscar and Honorine actually saved Marcel three times. When he was three years old, at his wedding with the gift of the farm and in 1948, when Marcel was terminally ill, this little chapel of Our Lady may well have been the miracle that brought about Marcel’s recovery.
We have a clear vision and are well prepared.
It is our way of honouring our heritage and believing in
every small step forward.
At Monte Marcella, we don’t decide by coincidence. We are very conscious of our role in supporting athletes and businesspeople.
In elite sport, success is rarely determined by a single major breakthrough, but by the accumulation of small optimisations: better recovery, sharper focus, improved technique. Each improvement may seem insignificant on its own, but together they provide a decisive advantage.
The same principle applies in the business world. Sustainable growth is not based on a single bold move, but on the continuous refinement of people, processes and performance. At Monte Marcella, we consciously create this environment – a place where every detail is designed to drive progress. Because when everything improves, even if only by 1%, we achieve a state of excellence.
Chris Mullie
Grandsun of Marcel & Marcella and founder of Monte Marcella Higher Level Resort
We have a whole range of great experiences for teams staying at Monte Marcella to enjoy during their free time. Just ask!
There are countless ways to enjoy yourself within the resort or in the surrounding area.
Gratitude and hard work for every small improvement we can achieve. One per cent at a time. That is how history was made here and that is how we love to continue writing it, together with you.
He became Ironman World Champion in Hawaii in 2013. He has had an 18-year professional triathlon career, including nine Ironman victories.
In 2001, he successfully completed the Defence Force’s physical training instructor course. He is currently the manager of the Defence Force’s elite athletes.
Frederik is an energetic coach for many (tri)athletes and, thanks to his experience with altitude training, is also the ideal ambassador for Monte Marcella.
Is an entrepreneur from West Flanders and the founder of Barias, which specialises in frozen food packaging and co-packing services.
He grew up on a farm and has a passion for innovation in food and logistics. Under his leadership, Barias was named SME of the Year in 2022.
Chris Mullie is the founder and host of the Monte Marcella resort.
He is our sport & business watcher. As a professor of (sports) marketing at KU Leuven and a visiting professor at Ghent University, he has been following the sports business sector for some three decades.
He has also established his authority at the intersection of sport and business as an author with works including “Sneller, Groter, Gekker”, “Koersdromen”, “Koerszaken” and “Winst of Verlies? De Sponsormatch”.
She is our go-to B2B sales representative. With her experience in hospitality and customer service, she knows better than anyone how to incorporate your requirements into a detailed proposal, ensuring your stay exceeds your expectations.
Monte Marcella is entirely yours. The estate, covering more than two hectares, is fully fenced and monitored by Securitas.
Monte Marcella is unrivalled. A unique venue offering a secluded, private and secure setting.
Enjoy the unique experience while blending activity and relaxation seamlessly.
• What is the vision behind Monte Marcella?
Monte Marcella was created to unite sport and business through performance. It’s driven by a belief in excellence, discipline and growth. The vision is to offer a unique environment where individuals and teams can unlock their full potential. It aspires to become a benchmark for high-performance experiences in both domains.
• Who founded Monte Marcella?
Monte Marcella was founded by Chris Mullie, founder of Barias, which specializes in frozen food packaging. Under his leadership Barias was awarded as SME of the year in Belgium. Chris Mullie is an entrepreneur with a strong passion for sport. The concept of the higher level resort Monte Marcella was born from his ambition to bring together the worlds of elite sport and business in one integrated environment. His goal is to build a unique high-performance ecosystem.
• How did the concept evolve?
The concept grew from the overlap between elite sport and leadership in business. Both require focus, resilience and continuous improvement. Monte Marcella was developed as an environment that fosters innovation and a performance-driven mindset. Discretion, autonomy and a “higher level resort” experience are central to its evolution.
