November-December 2020 Newsletter
Capping off a Unique Year - Achilles Style
The First Ever Achilles Cup
Thank you for making the 2020 Achilles Cup a success! Over 2,000 participants from over 100 teams and 40 Achilles chapters around the globe ran, walked, wheeled, danced and swam for over three weeks starting October 24th. In the end, we covered 133,000 miles — that’s 5 trips around the earth! We logged over 119,000 minutes of cardio and swimming. An incredible 82 days of activity! The competition was fierce and in the end, Achilles Japan came out on top, followed closely by Achilles Australia in second place and Achilles Colombia taking third.
The top teams by average points per team member were Achilles Phoenix, Achilles Toronto and New York Life. The largest team was Achilles Houston (aka, Houston, We Have a Mileage Problem!) and the top fundraising team was Achilles Queenswhich brought in over $1500 for their chapter. Congratulations to all that kept motivated and fit for the Achilles Cup!
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!
A Toast to Achilles, a Night of Inspiration and Conversation
On November 19th, we held our first ever virtual benefit hosted by PIX reporter and Achilles Board member Kirstin Cole. Guests included Jon Stewart, Tiki Barber, and Deborah Roberts. The event featured interviews with Achilles athletes Master Sgt. Cedric King, Anthony Butler, and Achilles Kid Sheridan. Achilles athletes, volunteers, and supporters worldwide tuned in to celebrate Achilles and our athletes.
During the event, we highlighted our quick pivot to virtual programming and events as the Covid-19 pandemic made in person gatherings impossible to host safely. Our amazing team and volunteers helped us to keep Achilles moving even while apart. We also announced the winners of the Achilles Cup!
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors and our text to pledge donors. You can view the recording here if you missed it,
If you would still like to make a text to pledge donation, please text 646-859-5305 and list your donation amount, name, and special message to Achilles. Your support means so much during these challenging times.
Achilles Freedom Team
The Achilles Freedom Team (AFT) is finishing 2020 strong! In addition to taking on the U-Haul Keep It Moving Challenge, the AFT partnered up with the team's presenting sponsor Cigna, for the first ever virtual Marine Corps Marathon/10K/50K. Athletes paired up with Cigna employees to train and hold each other accountable for the big race and of course, celebrated with a big virtual kickoff party!
The AFT took an honorable 5th place in The Achilles Cup and was incredibly proud to support teammate Master Sgt. Cedric King as he was honored during the Toast To Achilles celebration in November. In December, select athletes will be participating in a storytelling workshop with master story crafters from The Moth. We look forward to more opportunities to enrich, engage and stay race-ready in Q1 of 2021!
Team Achilles Kids
September saw the re-opening of in-person workouts in Central Park for Team Achilles Kids. It was a glorious day indeed to see the sea of yellow Achilles shirts on athletes and guides as they took off on our beloved bridal path for their first group run in Central Park in over six months! Everyone was all smiles beneath their masks and though hugs, handshakes, and high-fives were not allowed due to social distancing rules, joy and team spirit were palpable in the air. And thanks to the generous support of New York Cares, both Team Achilles Kids and Achilles New York were provided with cases of hand sanitizer to use at the workouts.
We have continued to have one in-person Central park workout per month while also maintaining our monthly live virtual workouts, Friday dance parties, and weekly exercise challenges. November saw the return of our special guest Phil Hanson, professional endurance driver and 2020 winner of Le Mans 24 Hour and the World Endurance Championship, to lead another race car themed live workout with the kids.
We also had over 50 TAK members participate in the first ever Achilles Cup! The kids crushed their goal of 2500 points for the three-week challenge and accrued 3107.5 points! We of course celebrated with a team call and dance party!
Long-time volunteer turned part-time Director of Team Achilles Kids, Angie Bullaro Musco, will be stepping down from her position at the end of the year in order to focus on her acting and writing career as she makes the move to Los Angeles. This October the kids helped celebrate the launch of her first children’s book “Breaking the Ice: The True Story of the First Woman to Play in the National Hockey League” and have been beautifully supportive of this bittersweet transition. Beloved volunteer and assistant coach, Theresa Molloy, will step in to help Karen Lewis and Janet Patton run the program during the search for a new director. Carolyn Wynne will continue to help coach Central Park workouts. In-person and virtual workouts and dance parties will carry on like normal. Though Angie is stepping down, she is not leaving the program completely and will still host every other dance party each month, coach surprise pop-up workouts periodically, and join TAK events as a volunteer when possible. We wish her extraordinary success and are thankful for her years of dedication to and love of Achilles, especially Team Achilles Kids.
International Chapters Participate in the Virtual New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is one of the city's biggest events of the year, attracting tens of thousands of runners from more than 100 countries around the world to the Big Apple to attempt the daunting 26.2-mile run. Normally, the race traverses five bridges as it takes participants through all five of the city's boroughs. This year, in response to the pandemic, the race was held virtually, which allowed more than 150 Achilles international members from around the world to participate by running in their neighborhoods as teams or paired with guides. Members ran past Mount Fuji, architectural wonders in Oslo, beautiful foliage in Toronto, and the greenest sport stadiums in Quito, while others crisscrossed magnificent parks of San Paulo, ran through the rain forests in Peru and river walks in Poland, crossed historical draw bridges of St. Petersburg, Russia, and were cheered by crowds of family and friends in New Zealand.
Achilles Mongolia, however, took it to a different level. As the country had no local COVD-19 transmission, the chapter was able to organize an in-person marathon in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Seventy seven members of Achilles Mongolia and their guides ran and crossed the finish line. The event involved about 360 people (runners, volunteers, medical workers, food suppliers, entertainment, and guests) who were cheered by crowds from the local communities. Thousands of people watched it live thanks to Sean Verity, whose company provided us with technology to broadcast on 20 different social media accounts around the world, including the NYRR Facebook page. Needless to say, GO ACHILLES MONGOLIA! Please enjoy this great video celebrating Achilles Mongolia’s accomplishment.
The U-Haul Keep-It-Moving Challenge
To celebrate 75 years in business, U-Haul sponsored three U.S. Chapters in The U-Haul Keep It Moving Challenge. Starting with Achilles Connecticut, then moving to Achilles New Jersey, and reaching stride with Achilles Nashville, all three Chapters worked together and individually to produce virtual and in-person Hope & Possibility® events with accompanying swag. Medals, neck gaiters, and koozies were delivered to the front doors of those who took on the Challenge and participated in all three races. With a long-standing tradition of military service and support, U-Haul is also working with Achilles Greater Phoenix to identify injured, ill and wounded military men and women in the area who might benefit from and enjoy Achilles membership.
National Chapters: Resumption of Workouts
As many of our chapters were increasingly eager to resume in person workouts, chapter leadership helped to develop safety protocols including staggered start times, digital waivers, and extra sanitary precautions. In July, Achilles Nashville was the first chapter to resume suspended workouts and Achilles Arkansas followed in September, although on Nov 14, 2020, virtual gatherings resumed due to a wave of COVID-19 cases. Chapter members remain in high spirits and were very grateful for several weeks of in person gatherings!
On September 26th, the Achilles NYC Chapter held their first in person workout since March! Thirty runners, wheelers and guides safely gathered at Engineer's Gate in Central Park, with many experiencing their first outdoor run since the beginning of the pandemic. Emotions were high as chapter members completed their first run in months, with several chapter members getting in their training miles for the Virtual TCS NYC Marathon. The group is continuing to safely gather twice per week and has embraced running in the new normal.