Achilles Heel
March 2015
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

 

There was a rumor that spring has arrived! With three layers of clothing, I recently spent a wonderful Saturday and Sunday in Central Park. It was great being outside again, although I missed seeing the daffodils which typically begin to bud at the beginning of March.

 

Things are getting better. Trust me.

 

We had an impressive turn out for the New York City Half and look forward to more great races in April.

 

Enjoy the better weather and see you in the park!

 

NEW YORK CITY HALF 2015

 



 

What a beautiful day for a run! That seems to be the consensus on this year's NYC Half Marathon. Early in the morning on March 15th, nearly 20,000 runners gathered in Central Park for what turned out to be an amazing race. Of those 20,000 athletes, there were twenty Achilles runners, forty Achilles guides, and seven Achilles hand cyclists. The crowds cheered for our neon yellow athletes as they made their way through the course! After zooming through the race, Marcel Lignon finished first among the hand cyclists with a time of 53:15. The first male Achilles runner to finish, Matt Turner, crossed the finish line looking like he barely even broke a sweat with a time of 1:37:39. Eliza Cooper, the first female Achilles runner to finish, crossed with a smile on her face at 01:55:32. Post-race celebrations carried on at a nearby diner and everyone marveled at the personal records that had been broken that day! Great job Achilles!




L.A. MARATHON

 



 

On March 15th, over 30 Achilles athletes took the sunny streets of LA by storm! Despite record high temperatures, the Achilles athletes prevailed and kept their cool. Owen Daniels and Mike Rearden took first and second place in the overall handcycle division and super star, Travis Wood, took first place from our Achilles FREEDOM TEAM. 

 

Members of the FREEDOM TEAM were hosted from all over the country thanks to the proceeds from the 2014 Barrett Jackson car auction where a COPO Camaro was donated by our loyal friends at Chevrolet. A big, heartfelt thanks from all of us to Fire Station 11 for hosting our tune-up and lunch celebration. We could not have had such a smooth and fun-filled weekend without each of you! Captain Malais, you are simply THE BEST! 

 

Also, the race officials at the LA Marathon are always a joy to work with and are a visionary example to the marathon community with their efficiency and welcoming philosophy. Next year's LA Marathon is on Valentine's Day....and we are already looking forward to an Achilles love fest with some of our favorite people! 




 

For every $100 donation and more, we are offering a copy of Achilles "Hope & Possibility"book which gives a unique history of how this special event began. It was inspired by the very courageous Trisha Meili and her memoir: "I Am The Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility." Just add "H&P BOOK" on the memo section of your donation and we will send you this great book filled with amazing photos and stories.

 


ACHILLES VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
CAROLYN WYNNE 

 

Carolyn Wynne has been a volunteer since 2009. She is an Occupational Therapist by profession and guides some of our wonderful Achilles Kids in Central Park and at the JCC (Jewish Community Center.)


"Being a guide, teaches you so much about perseverance...(Achilles Kids) never give up. Helping them run in mainstream races gives me a sense of accomplishment unlike any other I have ever experienced."

 

To read more about Carolyn, please click here.


To nominate a volunteer to be featured in our newsletter, please contact

Fiona.




 

Achilles longtime friend and supporter Dr. Jordan Metzl launched the first-ever augmented reality book on March 31st titled Dr. Jordan Metzl's Running Strong. This book is the first to use smart phone interface so runners around the world can access educational videos that explain how runners of all levels can stay on the road and injury-free. 

 

Dr. Metzl will be donating $1 of every book purchased to Achilles.

 

This clip explains a bit more about Dr. Metzl and the book.

 


Upcoming Events in April

 

Hope & Possibility� races are coming up! If you are in Pittsburgh on April 11th, we'll see you there!

CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Achilles Brooklyn will gather at Jack Rabbit Sports, 151 Seventh Ave., Park Slope at 6 pm on Thursday, April 16th for the FIRST of many workouts in Prospect Park.

Achilles DC officially launches on Sunday April 19th with its first workout.

 

April 20th is Patriots' Day in Massachusetts and the 119th Boston Marathon. Achilles FREEDOM TEAM, U.S. chapter athletes and many guides -- both imports and locals -- are ready to rock the course.

 

CURR (Columbia University Road Runners) 5K Race for Achilles on April 25th in Riverside Park. Check NYC Runs website for information and to register.


Achilles CT first team event of 2015 is the Cheshire Half Marathon on April 26th. We expect about twenty athletes at the start line this year. We are one of the charity recipients of the event and hope to raise funds as a result of participation.

 

ACHILLES CHARITY ENTRANT PROGRAM IN 2015

DON'T FORGET our Guaranteed Charity Entrant program for 2015. We have slots available for:

 

NYC Triathlon

Bank of American Chicago Marathon

TCS NYC Marathon

 

We have several slots available for each of these programs. For more details, please email Sarah or call her at 973 615 7375.

 

POTENTIAL NYC MARATHON GUIDES:

 

if you are applying to guide an Achilles athlete in the NYC Marathon on November 1, 2015. The specific NYC Marathon Guide Application will go up on our website under the volunteer section beginning July 15th through August 14th. 

Achilles Chapter Leaders: If you have chapter members participating in the marathon who plan on running with guides from your chapter, please have them submit their guide application between July 1st and July 14th. Eleanor Cox and Gerle Shagdar will send you the specific link for the application to give to your guides on July 1st.

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

 
Our 13th Annual Hope & Possibility� 5-Mile Run is Sunday, June 28th in New York!

 

DATES FOR OTHER HOPE & POSSIBILITY� RACES

 

April 11  Pittsburgh PA http://www.achillespghrace.com/

May 9   Nashville TN  http://achilles5miler.racesonline.com/race-registration 

June 28  New York City http://www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2015 

Date TBD - Auckland & Wellington, New Zealand

http://www.achillesnewzealand.org/annual-events.html  

 

Help Achilles New Zealand get 1,000 likes!!

https://www.facebook.com/AchillesNZ 

They are almost there but still need your help!!