The 11th Annual Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10k, the wheelchair division of the Fred d’Elia Ridgewood Run, will have its first racers from Africa.
Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, is sponsoring two female athletes from Ghana. Other athletes from the Ghanaian and Nigerian National wheelchair racing teams are also expected to compete in the race.
To qualify for the Paralympics, athletes must compete in a set number of certified races. The lack of resources, both financial and geographic,
has made it difficult for the Ghanaian and Nigerian teams to participate on the level necessary to gain entrance into international competition
such as the Paralympics. By competing in the Kessler Foundation 10k, one of the largest certified wheelchair races in the United States, they will come closer to reaching full qualification.
Sam Aidoo, technical director of the Paralympics Committee of Ghana, worked to develop sports for people with disabilities in Ghana to focus
national attention on disability issues in Ghana. By highlighting the accomplishments of athletes with disabilities, Aidoo and his racers have
changed how disability is viewed in Ghana and, as a result, have improved the status of people with disabilities, according to the foundation.
The Ridgewood Run has taken place every Memorial Day for the past 35 years. The wheelchair division, which is made possible through the
sponsorship of Kessler Foundation, kicks off the event with the runners starting 5 minutes later. It is one of the few races where wheelchair
racers and runners simultaneously compete on the same track.
The Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10k attracts more than 35 national and international wheelchair athletes. Racers from Kessler Foundation
sponsored adult and junior athletic teams—the WheelBlazers and the North Jersey Navigators—will also compete. The race starts at Graydon Pool in Ridgewood at 8:40 am.
Kessler Foundation aims to link science and grantsmanship so that people with disabilities can lead more productive and independent lives.
[Source: Kessler Foundation]
