May 4th 2014 the Cure Girls took part in the Wings for Life World Run. Arcangela and Loredana in Italy, Maaike in the Netherlands and Sabrina in Brazil. The other Cure Girls that couldn’t be present supported this event spread all over the world Capitalise Wings for Life World Run.
The Wings for Life World Run was very well supported. And for those of us that couldn’t be present. We maintain the push forward for a Cure. This was an event which showed a very positive show of support. We need to continue to build on this and ensure we carry on showing the world how important a Cure means to us all.
The World run is a truly global adventure, encompassing 34 locations, in which everyone runs at the very same time all over the world! 100% of the proceeds from the event will go to the Wings for Life Foundation, which funds research into curing spinal cord injury. The run unite athletes around the world, in one race, running for those who can’t! We’ve been blown away by the spirit of everyone who partecipated and who followed wings for life world run 2014. The results are in: wings for life world run global male winner: Lemawork Ketema (ETH) ran 78,57 kilometers and outperformed 35.396 athletes from 164 nationalities around the world. Global female winner: Elise Selvikvag Molvik (NOR) with a distance of 54,79 km.
And over 3,000,000 euros raised for wings for life, spinal cord research foundation. Thank you for your support of wings for life world run 2014! The journey continues next year: 3rd may 2015. See you next year!
Cure Girl Loredana and Rebecca
DRENTHE – IN THE NETHERLANDS
Last sunday I went to the run in my own country, the Netherlands. The start was at the TT- circuit in Assen. The weather was good, so it was a great day for the runners and the people who were watching them. It was amazing to see so many people, famous and not famous, run for a great cause: a cure for spinal cord injury.
For the first time since my injury i heard people talk about a cure for sci, not only when i was there, but also in the weeks before the run. I was getting used to the fact that doctors want to send me to a good psychologist when i tell them that i believe a cure for spinal cord injury is on the horizon. Of course, i know it’s gonna be difficult for people with an old injury like me, but it’s not impossible. Researchers say thats it’s a guestion of when, not if. So there is definitely hope for everyone living with a spinal cord injury. And i hope that an event like the wings for life world run will speed up the process. It would be great to live in a world where spinal cord injury is something of the past.
I want to thank the people who were running for me. Next year i hope i will have many more familymembers and friends involved in this run. They have a year to train, so i don’t see any problems!
Cure Girl Maaike
VERONA, ITALY
On May 4th the Cure Girls were present at the race in Italy which took place in the magnificent Verona, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
A beautiful day in all respects. It was a typical spring day and many participants enthusiastically responded to this unique competition. It was for a great cause; a one that has unfortunately been ignored. SPINAL CORD INJURY MUST BECOME CURABLE and finally this message was given in a loud voice.
It was an exciting start and funny to follow the developments of the race both in Italy and around the world thanks to continuous updates provided by the organizers.
Many celebrities from the world of sport and other professions participated. These influential people wanted to contribution by participating in this important event.
Awesome time and miles made by professional racers who competed until completely worm out. Our Giorgio Calcaterra won In Italy as male runner and was 4th in the world ranking.
Also a great number of “ordinary” people participated, contributing and allowing Wings for Life to raise a global total 3,000,000 Euro. This amount will be completely used to support research projects that we, Cure Girls, continue to ask to be primarily for chronic injuries .
In short, it was great to see so much participation and to finally hear about how important a cure is!
Keep it up and …see you the May 3rd, 2015 for the second edition!
Cure Girl Arcangela
The first edition of Wings for Life World Run was a success, over 3 million euros were raised which will go to fund research projects of the Wings for Life.
I am one of the many people who contributed to this and I am also one of the many people with a spinal cord injury who have had someone to run for her/him. The great dad of Loredana ran for me too… but there were two other people who were not physically present in Verona, but they did that race with their heart and spirit… my sister and her husband Giovanni; I will always thankful for their support. And I was there too! I wanted to participate in my own way to this extraordinary event, pedaling with my special bike when all the runners around the world were at the starting line. I wanted to do that because it was the only thing I could do, since just the consequences of my spinal cord injury did not allow me to go to Verona and attend the race.
For this reason, although I was symbolically the first to be reached by the catcher car, with my ride of 30 g/min, it was as if I ran all the miles made by all participants, to proclaim to the world that the spinal injury must become curable.
Cure Girl Barbara
FLORIANOPOLIS – BRAZIL
It was still dark and I was eager to join that which would be the most important race I’ve ever participated. The WFLWR has the noble mission to reverse 100% of their entries in grants to research for the cure of spinal cord injury, but also brings to the whole world, and that is more than 35 cities in different countries which took part in this first edition, the commitment to generate funds for researchers.
Exactly at 7 am it was the start in Florianopolis, and the equivalent time across the world, even where it was still dawn. This brilliant strategy was to create the spirit of sharing on the same day, at the same time, for one cause. It was an immeasurable honor to participate to this event and to be able to mobilize 20 friends who came to Florianopolis to run with me. I am so grateful to them and to those who contributed even if they could not run.
The human beings stand out from animals when they use their intelligence to help the others. That was the feeling I had when I was running with my sister and my friends: bringing hope to many who are in a situation like mine, being able to talk about it in the most popular tv show of the country, to make understand the urgency for a cure to those who are not in a wheelchair.
And this was a great success because of the many messages I received afterwards.
After I ran for 11 km, the certainty is that in May 3, 2015 I will be there again, and so until the day when the thrill of crossing the finish line will be replaced by the happiness of seeing the first steps of people coming back to walk.
Cure Girl Sabrina
Ainda era noite e eu estava ansiosa para me juntar àquela que seria a corrida mais importante que eu participaria. A WFLWR tem a nobre missão de reverter 100% das suas inscrições em verbas para pesquisar a cura da lesão medular, mas também leva ao mundo inteiro, e isso representa muito mais do que as 35 cidades em diversos países que fizeram parte desta primeira edição, o compromisso de gerar fundos para pesquisadores.
Exatamente as 7h foi dada a largada em Florianópolis e no resto do mundo, mesmo aonde ainda era madrugada. Essa estratégia foi genial ao criar o espírito de juntos no mesmo dia, na mesma hora, por uma causa. Foi uma honra imensurável fazer parte do evento e conseguir mobilizar 20 amigos que se deslocaram até Florianópolis para correr comigo. Gratidão eterna a eles e aos que contribuíram, mesmo sem poder ir.
O Ser Humano consegue se destacar dos outros animais quando usa a sua inteligência para fazer bem ao próximo. Foi essa sensação que tive ao correr com minha irmã e amigos: Levar esperança a tantos que se encontram numa situação semelhante a minha, poder falar a respeito disso na maior emissora de televisão do País, acreditar que a urgência por uma cura pode ser enxergada até por quem não esta em uma cadeira de rodas. Sucesso total ao conseguir ver o retorno de tudo isso em belas mensagens, formando uma grande corrente do bem.
Ao fim foram 11km percorridos e a certeza de que em 3 de maio de 2015 estarei lá novamente, e assim até o dia em que a emoção de cruzar a linha de chegada seja substituída pela felicidade de ver os primeiros passos de quem que reaprende a andar.
Cure Girl Sabrina