Over 400 Achilles Athletes Beat the Heat of the 2022 TCS NYC Marathon
Achilles athletes, charity runners, and volunteer guides from all over the globe visited the greatest city in the world to race in the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon on November 6, and to celebrate each of their accomplishments with other members and supporters of the Achilles community all weekend long.
Despite the record breaking high temperatures reaching 75 degrees with high humidity levels on race day, Achilles athletes pushed through and did not let the weather, or anything else, get in the way of completing their goals and powering through this race.
We had more than 400 athletes with disabilities, volunteer guides and support runners participate in this year’s race thanks to support from The Moody Endowment. Our 71 incredible Team Achilles charity runners raised a total of over $301,000 this year to help support Achilles’ mission.
Many Achilles athletes had personal bests and first time triumphs. One was new Achilles Freedom Team athlete and Navy veteran, Delvin Durham. He joined Achilles for the first time at the Hope & Possibility™ 4 Miler Presented by TD Bank this past June. This race was his first marathon using a handcycle and we can’t wait to see what’s next for him.
Diana Codispoti, Team Achilles charity runner and member of Achilles Houston, was thrilled to complete her first ever marathon alongside the rest of the Achilles community. “Racing for Achilles was pretty much a no brainer for me,” Diana says. “Why wouldn’t I want to help support a community of people just like me? Everyone at Achilles is so amazing, and the fact that we’re all able to come together on such an exciting day like today is just so incredible. I feel so lucky to have been a part of it!”
Achilles supporters lined the streets of NYC throughout the day to cheer on our athletes with a loud “go Achilles!” Cigna, the presenting sponsor of the Achilles Freedom Team, hosted a cheer station at Felice 83 where members of the Achilles community could go and cheer on our athletes as they passed the restaurant during the race.
Cigna also hosted a special pre-race event for the Achilles Freedom Team, featuring surprise meet and greets from New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Honorable Ashish Vazirani who both expressed their support and gratitude to the members of the team. Cigna employees also wrote letters to encourage our athletes from around the world competing in the race that were shared with them at the NYC Marathon Expo at the Javits Center in the days leading up to the race.
Achilles NYC hosted a shakeout run to warm up before the big day. A number of special guests participated, including elite marathoners Nell Rojas, Mike Wardian of HOKA who served as an Achilles guide, and Mariana Fernandez of Peloton. Hear their top tips and words of encouragement below.
Members of Team Achilles Kids also participated in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K race.
Congratulations to the Achilles community on an unforgettable TCS NYC Marathon weekend!
