January - February 2020 Newsletter
2020 TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON – NYRR DRAWING
Registration for the 2020 TCS NYC Marathon Drawing Opens on January 30th and closes on February 13th. If you are an Achilles Athlete with a Disability in good standing and wish to run in the 2020 NYC Marathon, please be sure to log in to your NYRR Account between January 30th and February 13th and either claim your guaranteed entry or sign-up for the drawing. It is very important that you enter “Achilles International” as your team and indicate that you are an Athlete with a Disability when registering. If you do not claim your entry or sign-up for the drawing during this time period, we are not able to guarantee your entry into the race. Runners will be asked to make their guide selections after their registration has been confirmed.
AMAZON SMILE!
Don't forget, if you shop at Amazon please shop at https://smile.amazon.com. When you shop here, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Be sure to select Achilles! This can generate a lot of money if we can make it a simple habit for 10,000 people on our contacts + thousands of others in our personal social media contacts. Thank you!
ACHILLES CHARITY ENTRY BIB OPPORTUNITIES
2020 NYC MARATHON CHARITY BIBS
Don’t miss out. Add meaning to your miles in one of the greatest marathons on earth - the TCS New York City Marathon. Join the Achilles Charity Team. The NYC Marathon is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year and promises to be the biggest and most exciting event of its kind. Be a part of this incredible, historic race. Run and raise funds by joining our Achilles Charity Team. Reserve your bib NOW!
2020 NYC TRIATHLON CHARITY BIBS
Race in one of the most iconic triathlons in the world and do it representing and fundraising for TriAchilles with guaranteed entry. Charity athletes will be hitting the racecourse on July 19th 2020 alongside over 50 athletes with disabilities and their guides. Email Francesco for more info or to reserve your charity bib and guaranteed entry! Slots are limited to a first come first served basis!
2020 TD FIVE BORO BIKE TOUR CHARITY BIBS
Roll out with TriAchilles on May 3rd 2020 when we take on the TD Five Boro Bike Tour! You will be among 40+ athletes with disabilities and their guides for this iconic event. Special entry packages for all TriAchilles charity fundraisers available, as well as a start at the front of the race. Email Francesco for more info or to reserve your charity bib and guaranteed entry. Slots are limited to a first come first served basis.
ACHILLES 18TH ANNUAL HOPE & POSSIBILITY® - SAVE THE DATE!
The 18th Annual Achilles Hope & Possibility® 4-Miler by TD Bank will be held on Sunday, June 28th in Central Park, NYC. Registration will open at the end of February. This is the largest race in the United States that highlights disability inclusion and embraces people with disabilities to compete in mainstream athletics. Hope & Possibility® competitors include wounded veterans from our Freedom Team, children with disabilities who run as part of our Achilles Kids program, Paralympians, and individuals with disabilities taking part in their first athletic endeavor.
There is a Kids Dash for children of all abilities ages 2-10 following the main 4-mile event. Every competitor receives a t-shirt and a medal. There will also be family-friendly entertainment in the Race Festival Area. Since the race began in 2003, it has been a celebration of the power of the human spirit to achieve seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Hope & Possibility® is inspired by Achilles founding board chair, Trisha Meili’s best-selling memoir: “I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope & Possibility.” If you would like more information, please email Genna Griffith.
ACHILLES @ WALT DISNEY WORLD
In partnership with Cigna, Achilles had the honor and joy of participating in the Walt Disney World Marathon Week, presented by Cigna. Achilles was represented by athletes from the Freedom Team, the Cigna-Achilles Customer Referral Program, Achilles Greater Phoenix, Achilles NYC, and Achilles New Zealand. Most of the team took on the Half Marathon which travels through Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Everyone did well. Some reached personal bests thanks to their incredible guides from Cigna. We are extremely grateful for Cigna’s guidance and constant support of Achilles and the athletes we serve.
Achilles members had the opportunity to run with some sport legends: namely 3-time Olympic gold medal winner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and 3x Pro Bowl NFL running-back Warrick Dunn. They were both fantastic guides. We were inspired to learn of their exemplary efforts with micro-communities as they work to overcome adversity and pay it forward. Also of note, Freedom Team members Candice Caesar (running and handcycling), Cedric King (running), Corey Petersen (pushrim and handcycle) and Zach Stinson (pushrim) tackled the Dopey Challenge – this is four races (5K, 10K, Half, Full), four days in a row. More like four nights in a row – with wake-up times starting at 2:30am! Stefan LeRoy conquered the Goofy Challenge which consists of the Half and the Full. All persevered and achieved. One incredible example of grit was when Zach Stinson’s pushrim racing chair got a flat tire at mile seven of the half-marathon. His wife was able to get his day-wheelchair to him and, rather than calling it a day, a determined Stinson finished the remaining 6+ miles. How’s that for always conquering?!
In addition to the races, it was wonderful to bring some new members into the Achilles community. Four newcomers came, conquered and were forever changed. We hope to be able to provide experiences like this to as many athletes as possible in the future. We witness the healing and are honored to be a part of it.
For the first time, the Achilles team was hosted for a private post-race dinner and fireworks at Epcot’s Test Track presented by Chevrolet. What a special gift to receive from our partners with the GM Military Discount. Deepest thanks to the incredible crew at Shades of Green for their warmth and hospitality. Our crew would not be complete without Jennifer Lerch, Virginia Redmond, Roy Griffith, Deidra Penny, Leo Manning and many of our steadfast volunteers. Thanks to the wonderful Antoinette Darrow and John Hughes for helping make RunDisney operate with efficiency and heart. Thanks to all the Cigna guides who ensured that our athletes had a truly magical Disney experience. And most of all, thanks to the Cigna Foundation; without its support none of this would be possible.
ACHILLES NATIONAL CHAPTER NEWS
ACHILLES CONNECTICUT
Achilles Connecticut kicked off 2020 represented at the Chilly Chili 5K by athlete Zakarai Schneider, his dog Kona, and volunteer Dana Martin. Zak received his first trophy at the awards ceremony. Congratulations!! Registration is OPEN for Achilles Connecticut’s 5th Annual Hope & Possibility® run on July 19th in Hartford. Athletes and volunteers from other Chapters are invited. Connecticut makes a GREAT vacation destination in the summer! Click here for more info or to register.
ACHILLES GREATER PHOENIX
On December 15th 2019, Achilles Greater Phoenix had 28 athletes and guides participate in the Hot Chocolate Phoenix 5K and 15k for the fifth consecutive year.
ACHILLES LOS ANGELES
In early December, a team of athletes and guides from Achilles Los Angeles participated in the 2019 Santa Monica-Venice Christmas 10K/5K Run. Justin Burgara, who is blind and on the autism spectrum, completed his first 5K race along with his great guides Betsy Cantor and Dani Barrett. It was a terrific achievement for Justin. Achilles has been a great weekly social outlet for him as well as an effective preventative measure to fend off diabetes, a condition that runs in his family.
ACHILLES NASHVILLE
Achilles Nashville travelled with 16 athletes, 19 guides, and family members to West Palm Beach in early December to participate in the West Palm Beach Marathon. Athletes participated in the Marathon Relay, the Half Marathon, and the Full Marathon. While there, the chapter met with the Achilles South Florida Chapter.
The Nashville Chapter had some really nice media exposure and also appeared as a feature in the Marathon Guide. It was a fun-filled weekend! The icing on the cake was being greeted at the airport by the 100+ Women Who Care organization surprising the chapter with a $10,000 year-end donation.
ACHILLES INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER NEWS
ACHILLES AUSTRALIA
Achilles Australia is one of our oldest chapters with four locations - Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Brisbane. Its mission is to create a country where people with disabilities can enjoy the social, recreational and health benefits of an active lifestyle. Australia is going through very challenging times with the bushfires that have been ravaging the country for months, destroying towns, wildlife, rural communities, and people’s livelihoods. Our thoughts and prayers are with Australia. Despite the devastation, all Achilles Australia members are safe with no damage to their homes or properties. Chapters continue serving their members to achieve life-changing goals. Find out about their amazing work here.
ACHILLES MONGOLIA
Achilles Mongolia sent this beautiful New Year’s Greeting and photo to share with all Achilles members.
“Greetings and Happy New Year to all Achilles members. You brighten up our lives and give so much to our organization and ask nothing in return. Thank you for bringing your love, your time, your heart, your families, and friends into the Achilles family. We all care for and support each other, we understand each other’s abilities and disabilities, and have respect for each other.”
Here are some of Achilles Mongolia’s great achievements throughout 2019:
“Wonderful Saturdays” – weekly hikes involving families and local celebrities, senators and special guest to learn about Achilles.
Workouts three times a week no matter the weather!
Hope & Possibility Ulaanbaatar® - 1000 participants and 200 volunteers.
Achilles Kids Program - enrolled 260 new kids.
“Life is beautiful” visits to a trauma center to encourage accident victims to join Achilles.
32 Achilles Mongolia athletes and guides crossed the finish lines of the two most prestigious marathons, the TCS New York City and Berlin Marathons.
We ran and walked more than 50,000 km training like professional runners and proudly losing 250kg combined.
More than 20 different audio, video and written information were published on social media.
Google search for posts and information about us in English and Mongolian languages revealed 45 results from different sites.
Achilles Mongolia Facebook reached 7400 likes, Achilles Mongolian Hope & Possibility® Facebook 2100 likes, Achilles Kids Mongolia Facebook 5700 likes.
“It was a wonderful year for Achilles Mongolia. We were honored by the President of Mongolia, Khaltmaagiin Battulga at our Hope & Possibility® opening ceremony speech for spreading disability awareness and serving the disabled community. We were also honored by the national airline MIAT, which sponsored Achilles members flights and Trade Development Bank of Mongolia (TDB) who signed a three-year sponsorship contract. We would like to thank all volunteers, including the silent heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes, who took part in the continued development of Achilles Mongolia, making it a home for everyone. For 2020, let’s go the extra mile together. Let’s open more doors. Let’s touch more lives. Let’s reflect on the changes we made in 2019, be proud of them and let’s share our future dreams and goals. Happy New Year to you all!”
ACHILLES OTTAWA
Achilles Ottawa is thrilled to extend an invitation for you to come to Canada’s capital from May 22nd to 24th, 2020 to participate in one of Canada’s premier road races, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Invitation and details below. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote the Achilles objective of engendering hope, inspiration and the joys of achievement for people of all abilities.
JOIN ACHILLES OTTAWA TAMARACK RACE WEEKEND, MAY 22-24, 2020 IN OTTAWA, CANADA’S CAPITAL.
Are you blind or partially sighted? Are you keen to run a marathon in Canada on the streets of Canada's capital? Are you looking for an opportunity to improve your 10k? As Canada's premier road race, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend represents a unique celebration of everything that's great about running. Each year, this weekend brings together over 30,000 participants of all abilities who take to Ottawa's streets over distances ranging from 5 kilometers to a full marathon.
Achilles Ottawa Chapter offers a community of support for runners who are blind and partially-sighted and of all levels and backgrounds.
Here’s what you can expect from Achilles Ottawa and the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend organizers:
Visually-Impaired Category available in all races (5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon)
20% discount on early race registration for the first thirty participants using the VI code (available through Achilles Ottawa)
Prize money for the 10k top three males and females at $500, $250 and $100
Race guides on request
Airport/train shuttles and billets available on request for runners from out of town
Reserved block of rooms in downtown hotel on request (at athlete’s expense)
Pre- and post-race dinners for runners and guides
Guided tours of Ottawa on request
Access to pre- and post-race facilities in close proximity to the start/finish line for runners to hang out, have snacks, store gear, leave guide dogs and socialize for runners and guides (space generously provided by TELUS)
Achilles Ottawa looks forward to welcoming you and supporting you at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend in Ottawa, Canada, May 22-24, 2020.
- Jason Dunkerley, President, Achilles Ottawa Chapter
Questions? Need more information? Want a VI code? Please contact Achilles Ottawa at achillesottawa@gmail.com
ACHILLES PANAMA
We are delighted to introduce Geraldine Patterson who started Achilles Panama in June 2019. After seeing Achilles athletes and volunteers at various races Geraldine knew this was something she wanted to do. Located in Panama City, Achilles Panama has 12 blind athletes and 20 volunteers. Most athletes are low to very-low income and often don’t have money for transportation to workouts. Instead, the wonderful, dedicated volunteers meet the athletes at their convenience and train with them.
Achilles Panama Chapter will be represented in the US for the first time on February 9th at the Miami Marathon. Geraldine will be guiding a visually impaired member Nayrin Ruiz, 37 years old, a wife and mother of two girls, who lost her vision almost five years ago.
Geraldine is working very hard to make Achilles Panama successful and to create regular weekly workouts. She has also assembled a group of volunteers and friends who donate running shoes and clothes to the athletes. Thank you all for work you do to spread the Achilles mission. Go Achilles Panama!
“My heart grows every time the athletes finish a race as it makes them feel strong, confident and so proud.” – Geraldine Patterson
ACHILLES WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL PROGRAM
The Achilles Wheelchair Basketball Program is preparing for the first-ever Stetson Wheelchair Basketball Tournament. The tournament will start on February 8th through February 9th in Hackensack NJ. Five teams will participate in the tournament including Achilles’ own Stetson Brooklyn and Bulova Nets.
The two Nets teams participated in the New England Blazers Basketball Tournament on January 11th and 12th. Both teams did extremely well. The Brooklyn team finished first in the tournament by winning all four games played. The Bulova Team tied for third place by winning two games and losing two. The National Wheelchair Basketball Association Rankings have the Stetson Brooklyn Nets 9th in the country.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
HECTOR RAMIREZ
Hector Ramirez has been an Achilles Queens Guide for three years. What makes Hector special is that he doesn't just guide our athletes, he goes above and beyond in helping them get to and from workouts, making sure they have what they need. Hector spreads his infectious lust for life and positive energy with all who come in contact with him. As part of Team “Backwards” Bill (Reilly) along with his other guides, Hector has completed two NYC Marathons and several Half Marathons. Thank you, Hector!
VIRGINIA REDMOND
Virginia Redmond has been an Achilles Freedom Team volunteer for nearly a decade. She offers a unique brand of volunteerism. She is an employee at the team's home base, The Shades of Green in Walt Disney World. Rather than work during our marathon wellness weekend, Virginia takes those days off and volunteers with the team, often doing double-duty while working around the clock to make sure that everyone is taken care of. She has also traveled to New York City several times to volunteer for the Achilles Hope & Possibility® weekends. Virginia truly cares and anticipates the needs of the team and the staff. She is an extraordinary problem-solver, doing it with grace and a smile. Virginia is a beautiful example to us all, and we are grateful to her!
KIMBERLY GLASSMAN
Kimberly Glassman began volunteering for Achilles Kids in 2013 and quickly became a regular (and wonderful) fixture at our Achilles Kids Fun Runs at the JCC. When our NY Cares Team Leader had to leave, in 2015, Kim stepped right up and has been leading the way ever since. Her love and devotion for our kids have added so much to our fun runs throughout the years and her commitment to making the volunteer experience fulfilling as a NY Cares Team Leader is just awesome. Thank you, Kim!
DATES:
February 15th – Achilles “Love Run” in Central Park. No RSVP required.
June 28th – Achilles Hope & Possibility® 4M Race in Central Park – HOLD THE DATE!
Photo credits: many of our photos are courtesy of the great, talented, always helpful and very dedicated, Larry Sillen. Thank you, Larry!