Chapter News
Brazil Chapter
All the amazing athletes of the Achilles Brazil Chapter were honored yesterday by their local sponsor at the Largado Track & Field Center Norte 2010. Check out a great video and more info here. Now the unstoppable Brazil Chapter members are gearing up for the Sao Paolo Marathon on May 2nd. Go Achilles Brazil, Go! Check out a few of the terrific photos from this awesome chapter!
Denver Chapter
Achilles Denver competed in the Aetna Park to Park 10 Miler. The race featured beautiful scenery and a great venue for Denver’s running community – both able bodied and disabled. Kerry Kuck and his guide, Scott Dailey participated. The Denver chapter meets weekly in Wash Park and is organized by Janet Leonard.
Egypt Chapter
Athletes from Achilles’ Egypt Chapter went to Poland for the Krakow Marathon. All entrants successfully crossed the finish line. They were impressed by the hospitality of their fellow Achilles athletes in Poland. They – and we – greatly appreciate everything our Polish athletes did for the Egyptian members of Achilles.
NYC Chapter
Yuki Goto joined Achilles nearly three years ago after a car accident left him with Traumatic Brain Injury. Yuki made remarkable progress during his time as an Achilles athlete. His balance, pacing ability, endurance and race times steadily improved with regular training. He also made many strides while undergoing rehabilitation for his traumatic brain injury at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. Yuki and his mother Kaori recently returned home to Japan but they will be back in New York in November for Yuki to take on the ING NYC Marathon for the second time. Yuki’s success has inspired many in the Rusk program, run in part by Achilles Board Member Dr. Bonnie Marks, to join Achilles and begin running marathons.
New Zealand Chapter
The leaders of Achilles New Zealand visited New York in conjunction with our annual Hope & Possibility 5 Mile Race. They met with Achilles staff, board members, athletes, and volunteers, who provided insight and guidance to assist as the three plan to hold the first ever international Hope & Possibility. They are already hard at work building relationships and securing permits for H&P New Zealand – to be held on January 31, 2010. Book your tickets now!
Poland Chapter
Arek Skrzypinski establishes new Polish national record for the marathon. Elite Achilles handcranker Arek Skrzypinski has continued his ambitious schedule in international races. In April Arek and others from Achilles Poland participated in the half marathon in Berlin and also in a marathon in Rosenau, France, where Arek set new national record: 1:08:28. We look forward to more record setting performances from Arek and his compatriots.on November 1 and is expected to be among the fastest in the field. Please check out their awesome website for the latest news from our Poland Chapter!
Spain Chapter
Congratulations to Jorge Perez de Leza from our Achilles Spain Chapter. Jorge, a paraplegic, used a handcrank to compete in the Barcelona Marathon on March 7th. Jorge and 5 other athletes with disabilities were among the 13,000 runners in this very exciting race. Jorge is a prominent advocate for the disability community in Spain, and we look forward to working with him to increase the presence of Achilles in the Barcelona Marathon in the future. Check out some of the "Kodak Moments" from this amazing day!