RIDC Champion Highlight: Achilles International
Our next champion is Achilles International, the international organization that is empowering the disability community to cross the race finish line. Since their start in the early 198os, Achilles International has created 36 chapters (and counting) in more than 18 countries, helping more than 150,000 athletes crush their goals and spread awareness. There is a great intersectionality to their work that ensures that people of all backgrounds and abilities can find joy in running and achieving movement goals they may have otherwise thought impossible. Coming off of their big New York Road Runners run, the Hope and Possibility 4-miler in Central Park, we got to hear from Achilles president and CEO Emily Glasser as well as the director of Achilles NYC Metro Region, Francesco Magisano (who is also an elite para triathlete).
Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC): How and when did Achilles International come to be?
Emily Glasser (EG): Achilles International is a leading adaptive nonprofit that breaks down barriers to the start line for athletes with disabilities. Our mission is to transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connections. The organization began as a track club in Central Park in 1983. It was founded by Dick Traum, who passed away earlier this year. Traum was the first known amputee to complete a marathon on a prosthetic leg. He was a pioneer by advocating for inclusion of all kinds of modalities of running. He wanted to ensure the sport was available and accessible to everyone. Today, our chapters continue that legacy in parks around the world, hosting free adaptive workouts.
RIDC: What do you find most inspiring about your group?
Francesco Magisano (FM): Watching our athletes put aside everything, every barrier, whether it’s financial or their disability, in pursuit of a goal. In our case, that goal is often a finish line, but it is inspiring to witness the focus and the determination of overcoming barriers that Achilles helps facilitate through our workouts. Each athlete achieves a goal in their own unique way.
RIDC: Achilles athletes run with a guide. What is something more people should know about the guide-athlete relationship?
FM: The easy thing we think of is pulling the tether and calling out obstacles. The athlete-guide relationship goes way deeper than that. There could also be the emotional support that can go into it. For the people I pair with athletes, the guiding could start before the race starts. They help an athlete get in a good headspace, build confidence, visualize the race, and so many other things beyond just calling paces and obstacles. They form a bond, which starts with a high level of trust. None of it matters if you don’t have the confidence to show up and start.
RIDC: Where do you see successes and/or areas in need of improvement in the fitness industry when it comes to the inclusion of athletes with disabilities?
FM: Achilles has done a good job of advocating in major races for people with disabilities. Most people know what a guide is now, but there could always be more awareness. With the athlete with disability population, you can’t write policy in black and white, as there is so much gray area. Not all blind people or all amputees have the same needs. Advancing understanding from people who are regulating the field of athletes with disabilities is helpful. A little bit of understanding and willingness to work with people can go a long way. Gym equipment and mainstream running watches and technology also need to improve in terms of accessibility, especially for athletes who are blind or low-vision and need information read aloud.
RIDC: Athletes with disabilities come from all different racial groups. Can you speak to the intersectionality of the work you do when it comes to advocating for all of your athletes?
EG: Disability does not know gender or race. One in four Americans will be impacted by a disability and nearly half will not get enough aerobic physical activity. Those with disabilities are also more likely to report a chronic health condition. It impacts us all in different ways and walks of life. Whether it’s a reader of this blog, a loved one, or a friend, disability will touch your day-to-day. How will you respond and how can we work together to ensure everyone feels seen, included, and a sense of belonging? What makes Achilles International so unique is how we all can run, walk, or roll together and enjoy the benefits of sport, including the physical, emotional, and mental health ones.
FM: It’s rare to be part of a community with such wide diversity. The running community is so special in that way. Everything we do has to encompass not only disability inclusion and accessibility but every other form of inclusion. At my workouts, I will run with athletes who can afford multiple pairs of sneakers and those on food stamps. Financial inclusion and meeting people where they are so that they can participate is key as well. The language we use is also important, and being mindful of other cultures. We have athletes from Mongolia and Japan to Mexico who come together each fall to join us at the TCS New York City Marathon.
RIDC: What have you most loved about your participation with Achilles International?
EG: What I have most loved about my participation with Achilles International is witnessing the incredible resilience and determination of our athletes. Every day, I see individuals overcoming immense challenges and pushing beyond their perceived limits. The sense of community and mutual support among our members is truly inspiring. It’s a privilege to be part of an organization that not only empowers athletes with disabilities but also fosters meaningful connections and lifelong friendships. The joy and pride on the faces of our athletes as they cross finish lines and achieve their goals are moments I cherish deeply. Being part of their journey and seeing the transformative impact Achilles has on their lives is what I love most about my involvement.
FM: Experiencing the impact that Achilles has had on my life as an athlete first, but also now giving that back to others. I get to feel the real effect of what we do. Yes, it’s access to health, but also meeting new friends and the professional impact it creates, such as the courage to go into a job interview because you did an extra mile in the park you didn’t think was previously possible. I felt it myself in my journey, and now I get to experience it with others.
RIDC: Please share a joyful story or moment that highlights the work you are doing.
FM: There is a longtime Achilles athlete with low vision I have worked with who has doubts every single workout. If you look at his average six-minute-mile pace, he does not typify the athlete that you would expect to have insecurities or deal with doubt. I finally convinced him to do his first races with Achilles this year, including a half marathon and our marquee four-miler. This fall he will be doing his first full marathon.
Getting him to the start line was the battle. There are mental and emotional barriers that Achilles helps to break down to get him to the start line. Once he’s at the start line, then it’s easy. Getting to the start line, having the confidence to show up, implying that he is as good as the able-bodied runners, is huge. Achilles is a big part of cultivating that belief of belonging. I belong there and he belongs there. That’s harder in some ways than crossing a finish line.
EG: I am honored to stand at the finish line of several races, including some of the major marathons, each year and to greet our athletes as they cross these monumental finish lines. Witnessing these moments of triumph is incredibly special and uplifting. One of my most cherished memories is of an Achilles Kids member who, after ten years of dedication, completed his first NYC Marathon last November. Equally inspiring are the young men and women from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland who travel to New York City in June to participate in the Achilles Hope and Possibility 4-miler presented by TD Bank. These individuals, recovering from life-altering injuries and adjusting to their new realities, join our field of participants and discover that there is a path forward. Watching them walk, run, or wheel across the finish line, realizing that they can push beyond perceived boundaries, is profoundly moving. These moments of courage and perseverance are what stay with me and motivate me every day in this work.
RIDC: What are you currently working on, or what upcoming events do you have?
EG: Achilles International has a busy fall race season, culminating in the TCS New York City Marathon, where we anticipate over 500 community members from our chapters across the world joining us. We recently hosted the annual Achilles Hope and Possibility 4-miler presented by TD Bank last month in Central Park with our partner New York Road Runners. More than 5,000 runners with and without disabilities competed, and the race grows each year.
Most importantly, we host workouts every day in New York City and every week across the country. Find an Achilles chapter near you. If you know someone living with a disability, invite them to attend, whether for a walk, run, or roll with our adaptive equipment. If you want to help someone else experience the sport, sign up to volunteer or fundraise so we can transform more lives. There are many ways to get involved!
Know someone who is an RIDC Champion? Reach out to amy@runningdiversity.com and share them with us!