Jessica Joins Team With a Vision to Run Like the Wind for WE Fit Wellness™ by Kevan Worley
Ok. Maybe some hyperbole in the title. I’m not sure she’ll run like the wind. But we are so excited about Jessica’s journey. On April 18, Jessica will join the ranks of the select few who have qualified for the 2016 Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s most prestigious road racing events. The Boston Athletic Association manages this American classic, which is sponsored by John Hancock Financial Services. The Boston Marathon has distinguished itself as the pinnacle event within the sport of road racing by virtue of its traditions, longevity and method of gaining entry into the race (via qualification).
She doesn’t make a big deal of it around here. But it is a big deal for the WE Fit Wellness™ team, when one of our mates, indeed, one of our growing community, strives for something big, and makes consistent strides to achieve their personal goal, whatever that may be. Whether she is producing the BreakingBlind YouTube video for Maureen Bassmaster, teaching a WE Can Culture workshop for a group of students with disabilities, co-hosting the Find Your Fit™ podcast, or role modeling for a young, blind woman how she can independently enjoy the facilities and services of a community YMCA, we say, Jessica makes magic happen in the lives of so many. Jessica knows that she’s not special. She knows other blind marathoners have run in the Boston Marathon. This humility and ability to empathize with people who are setting their own personal goals, no matter what size or scope, as they seek their own emotional, spiritual, or physical well-being, is truly what makes her special. We look forward to following her latest endeavor, as she journeys to Boston. We hope you’ll cheer her on, along with all of us. We will keep you updated. I know that all of our friends at Achilles International, in Denver and Colorado Springs, will be cheering her as well. For the last 23 years, members of Team With a Vision have toed the starting line on Marathon Monday and shown the world that ‘disability’ does not mean “inability.” Our international team of blind and sighted runners race to support individuals throughout Massachusetts living with vision loss. Their efforts allow the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) to deliver professional, peer and volunteer support to over 1,100 individuals each year, giving them the support they need to live with dignity and independence.
