KE Plunkett and Cedric Edwards
Achilles Kids Running-Walking-Rolling Programs give Disabled Young Athletes a Way to Measure Achievement, Gain Confidence and Have Fun.
As you know, Fitzness is passionate about helping kids get fit through walking and running with our Morning Mile program. This is why we’re so excited to know that Cigna, which is a mammoth sponsor of most runDisney races in Orlando, Florida has decided to sponsor five Achilles Kids athletes to run the Family Fun Run 5K race during the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend, January 10-13, 2013. Achilles Kids is a program of Achilles International; an organization that helps people with disabilities compete in mainstream athletic events.
Cigna has a strong collaborative relationship with Achilles International and the Cigna Foundation will also sponsor 20 adult Achilles athletes to run in this year’s Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend events. With child wellness as one of the key focus areas of Cigna’s newly revised corporate responsibility program, Cigna Connects, the new sponsorship of the Achilles Kids was created to also bring these young athletes to the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend for the first time this year .
KE Plunkett (above) has been training with Cigna manager, Cedric Edwads who will play the role of coach, buddy and guide throughout the race. Plunkett is always the first to arrive at Achilles Kids workouts and is usually in charge of decorating the gym. His running efforts would be an accomplishment for any kid, but considering he’s dealing with a rare medical condition called eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder which causes his while blood cells to attack food as if it were a parasite, his efforts are remarkable.
In all, nearly 65,000 runners are expected to compete in various events throughout the weekend. The Disney Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna will again feature Kids’ Races throughout the weekend, including the Mickey Mile, the Half Marathon on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday in addition to the Family Fun Run 5K. There is also Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge which involves running the half marathon and the full marathon – a total of 39.3 miles. 2013 marks the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend and brings new features, routes and entertainment to the event. The Health and Fitness Expo runs throughout the weekend at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and features the latest in running technology and fashion.
We love runDisney events and we’re super excited to see how the Achilles Kids enjoy their races. Best of luck to each and every individual who has signed up, trained and intends to take off at Mickey and Minnie’s many starting lines. We’ll follow through with all the excitement after the last awesome athlete crosses the finish line.
I can’t thank you enough. My son is so excited. Thank you Cigna. Thank you Achilles. If you want to know more about his EOS disorder. Go to http://www.apfed.org.