Dear Margaret,


Kyle Robidoux is a Massachusetts native who will be among the 50 Achilles athletes with disabilities racing the Bank of America Boston Marathon on April 15. Kyle started losing his eyesight at age 11 due to retinitis pigmentosa. Today, he's an ultra runner with over 40 endurance races under his belt and no plans of stopping any time soon. He even plans to do back-to-back marathon distances on the same weekend. He says it's important for athletes with disabilities "not to let others put boundaries and limitations on us."


When donors support Achilles International, they ensure chapters like Achilles Boston can provide free adaptive workouts and trained volunteer guides for athletes likeKyle.

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Kyle and his guides at the finish line in darkness before starting the race in reverse in 2017

While running started as a way to stay in shape and healthy, Kyle says now it's about the community.


"The running community is what really made me fall in love with the sport. It should be accessible for everyone. Access to equipment and guides are key to breaking down barriers to running for people with disabilities. The peer network is also super important, seeing how other athletes have adjusted and learning from their experiences. Achilles International helps make that happen," he says.


Will you help us break down barriers and support athletes with disabilities?

Kyle running with his guide on a trail



"Achilles has made a big difference in my life. I know I can always rely on Achilles to set me up with really great, supportive guides. I also really love the sense of community. I spent many years running only around people with vision loss, so it's wonderful to go to races with Achilles now where we bring a strong presence of all kinds of adaptive athletes with all different types of disabilities. It’s really nice to help break down silos in the adaptive community.”


— Kyle Robidoux, Achilles Boston Athlete

 
 

Achilles International | www.achillesinternational.org

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