Sara and Ryan in Zambia with Team World Vision
Isaac at the start line in the village
The children in Musele
With the kids at the start line in Zambia
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Photos from Zambia
Sara and Ryan in Zambia with Team World Vision
Isaac at the start line in the village
The children in Musele
With the kids at the start line in Zambia
Monday, November 10, 2008
Team World Vision
In the last year leading up to the Trials and beyond, I have taken a backseat role with hands-on volunteering, but my passion for social justice and overcoming poverty has led me to become involved with World Vision, and specifically Team World Vision. World Vision is an international Christian humanitarian organization that works in nearly 100 countries around the globe, combating the root causes of poverty and responding quickly when disaster strikes.
I really like World Vision’s way of working, in that they wait to be invited in by a community, and then partner with communities to find lasting ways of improving the lives of children and their families. Our role in their work has been joining Team World Vision, which raises money for World Vision’s projects in Africa through athletics. We have been encouraging runners to join the team, choose a race to run for, and raise support for World Vision. Most runners on the team run the Chicago Marathon, but anyone can run, walk, bike, or commit whatever challenge they are excited about to raising money for children in developing countries.
This year, all the money raised by the runners in the Chicago Marathon went to brining clean water to communities in Zambia. Ryan and I went out to Chicago to cheer on Team World Vision last month. It was incredible to actually be with the team in person, meet them at the pre-race pasta dinner, and rally the masses in orange ready to run Sunday morning! Team World Vision had around 800 runners in the marathon, making them close to if not the largest charity in the race! It’s been exciting to see the word getting out and the momentum that the team is generating. During the marathon, I ran around the course cheering on my teammate Kate O’Neill and the hundreds of orange TWV runners that were so easy to spot! Afterwards, we had a barbeque in a park adjacent to the finish, and we got to hear the stories of the 26.2 miles and what had motivated them to join Team World Vision. Some of the runners even ran with buttons displaying a picture of their sponsored child, of whom they were running in honor.
After the Chicago Marathon, Ryan and I traveled to Zambia to see first-hand the water projects that the Team had funded. We had a great time there, and really came away believing more than every in the World Vision model for tackling poverty. Not only did we see the bohr holes that were drilled to bring clean water, but we saw other projects like fishing ponds and health clinics that World Vision had empowered the community to build, aimed at tackling all of the different health and poverty problems that are plaguing the Musele community.
One of my favorite memories from Zambia was the first day we arrived there. Ryan and I went on a run from our hotel along the main road. As we ran down the road, women walked with buckets of water balanced on their heads, men rode by on rickety bicycles, and everyone that passed us stared at Ryan and I, often muttering “mizungo”, meaning “white person” or, the more bold ones, shouting out “Hal-loo, how are you?”, excited to practice their English. We passed numerous mud huts along the way, and often children came running out to wave at us wildly, giggling at the sight of foreigners. They were so adorable it was overwhelming, and I waved back at them, grinning equally as wide.
Soon groups of children in light blue uniforms could be seen up ahead, walking home from school carrying their book bags. As we ran up next to them, they smiled and laughed, and started running with us, still laughing! I was amazed at how small children, caring bags of books the size of them could keep up at a sub-7 minute pace, often barefoot or wearing sandals! Their joy was infectious and we giggled with them, giving them high-fives and thumbs up as they strode beside us. Soon the road started to climb, and one by one they would slow to a walk, except one girl who looked about 10 years in age, who followed our pace from across the road. She was wearing pink crocs and had a large back of books in one hand, but she smiled as she kept up with us for almost 2 miles! When we started to pull away and she slowed to a walk, she still smiled and waved at us until we were out of sight.
The smiling faces of these children still stick in my mind, and remind me to take time out of my training to work to bring hope to these communities from afar. We have been trying our best to spread the world about Team World Vision and find ways to use the platform we’ve been given through our competitions. And hopefully, one person at a time, doing their part by choosing a race and raising support, we can continue to bring hope and joy to children like these all over the world!
This year, all the money raised by the runners in the Chicago Marathon went to brining clean water to communities in Zambia. Ryan and I went out to Chicago to cheer on Team World Vision last month. It was incredible to actually be with the team in person, meet them at the pre-race pasta dinner, and rally the masses in orange ready to run Sunday morning! Team World Vision had around 800 runners in the marathon, making them close to if not the largest charity in the race! It’s been exciting to see the word getting out and the momentum that the team is generating. During the marathon, I ran around the course cheering on my teammate Kate O’Neill and the hundreds of orange TWV runners that were so easy to spot! Afterwards, we had a barbeque in a park adjacent to the finish, and we got to hear the stories of the 26.2 miles and what had motivated them to join Team World Vision. Some of the runners even ran with buttons displaying a picture of their sponsored child, of whom they were running in honor.
After the Chicago Marathon, Ryan and I traveled to Zambia to see first-hand the water projects that the Team had funded. We had a great time there, and really came away believing more than every in the World Vision model for tackling poverty. Not only did we see the bohr holes that were drilled to bring clean water, but we saw other projects like fishing ponds and health clinics that World Vision had empowered the community to build, aimed at tackling all of the different health and poverty problems that are plaguing the Musele community.
One of my favorite memories from Zambia was the first day we arrived there. Ryan and I went on a run from our hotel along the main road. As we ran down the road, women walked with buckets of water balanced on their heads, men rode by on rickety bicycles, and everyone that passed us stared at Ryan and I, often muttering “mizungo”, meaning “white person” or, the more bold ones, shouting out “Hal-loo, how are you?”, excited to practice their English. We passed numerous mud huts along the way, and often children came running out to wave at us wildly, giggling at the sight of foreigners. They were so adorable it was overwhelming, and I waved back at them, grinning equally as wide.
Soon groups of children in light blue uniforms could be seen up ahead, walking home from school carrying their book bags. As we ran up next to them, they smiled and laughed, and started running with us, still laughing! I was amazed at how small children, caring bags of books the size of them could keep up at a sub-7 minute pace, often barefoot or wearing sandals! Their joy was infectious and we giggled with them, giving them high-fives and thumbs up as they strode beside us. Soon the road started to climb, and one by one they would slow to a walk, except one girl who looked about 10 years in age, who followed our pace from across the road. She was wearing pink crocs and had a large back of books in one hand, but she smiled as she kept up with us for almost 2 miles! When we started to pull away and she slowed to a walk, she still smiled and waved at us until we were out of sight.
The smiling faces of these children still stick in my mind, and remind me to take time out of my training to work to bring hope to these communities from afar. We have been trying our best to spread the world about Team World Vision and find ways to use the platform we’ve been given through our competitions. And hopefully, one person at a time, doing their part by choosing a race and raising support, we can continue to bring hope and joy to children like these all over the world!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Happy New Year!
I am writing in from Flagstaff, Arizona where I have been staying since Christmas. Ryan and I came here to support our good friend Alicia Shay, and thus my projects in Mammoth Lakes and Big Bear have been temporarily put on hold. Tomorrow I will be heading out to the east coast for 3 races on 3 consecutive weekends- New Balance Indoor Games at the Armory, Reebok Indoor Games in Boston, and the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. I am excited to begin racing and start of the Olympic year! I have been training hard for a few months now, and I am ready for a chance to see where I am at fitness-wise! When I return, I am looking forward to catching up with my friends from the track team and library in Chula Vista, where I will be living for the month of February. Lots of traveling as usual, but I am enjoying being where I am at and maximizing what I am doing no matter where it is!
My coach, Terrence, sent our team a quote the other day to keep in mind as we begin 2008 (the Olympic Year!) "Human greatness begins where submission to fear ends. You cannot become wealthy like Bill Gates without first casting aside the fear that you will fail, without risking capital and prestige. You cannot become a Winston Churchill if you are intimidated by the evil power that you must fight. You can’t get a college degree if you’re afraid of taking tests, and you can’t win an Olympic gold medal if you’re afraid of losing a race. It is courage, not caution that leads to great success.” I hope that everyone has been able to use the turn of the year to reflect on where they are heading, and what may be holding them back from pursuing it whole-heartedly! I am ready to put these good intentions to practice this weekend at the Armory!
Until next time....
My coach, Terrence, sent our team a quote the other day to keep in mind as we begin 2008 (the Olympic Year!) "Human greatness begins where submission to fear ends. You cannot become wealthy like Bill Gates without first casting aside the fear that you will fail, without risking capital and prestige. You cannot become a Winston Churchill if you are intimidated by the evil power that you must fight. You can’t get a college degree if you’re afraid of taking tests, and you can’t win an Olympic gold medal if you’re afraid of losing a race. It is courage, not caution that leads to great success.” I hope that everyone has been able to use the turn of the year to reflect on where they are heading, and what may be holding them back from pursuing it whole-heartedly! I am ready to put these good intentions to practice this weekend at the Armory!
Until next time....
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