MISSION TO MARS is ready to Blast Off

by Heather Stewart

“MISSION TO MARS is ready to Blast Off”, is what Marc Goodwin of the Rockin’ Weebles: Weebles Kick AS told his long time friend. You see, Marc is a trail runner and his friend has AS so when Marc saw posts about the Rockin’ Weebles and Walk Your AS Off he decided to talk to his running friends about AS and see if they would contribute their steps to our Mars journey. Then he took it one step further…
I am pleased to announce that this year participants in the Down To Run Endurance Challenge have the option of contributing their distance to Walk Your AS Off on behalf of Team Rockin’ Weebles: Weebles Kick AS!
Down To Run is a trail running organization in Florida that advocates a healthier lifestyle while adding insight as to why we need to preserve our environment; to reduce our impact on the planet we live on. They hope to introduce trail running as an alternative to road running – it is single track, no fumes, no honking horns, no caution of cars, no traffic lights just beautiful scenery and fresh air. Every year they host an Endurance Challenge comprised of four levels of runs (5k, 10k, half-marathon, 50k) at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Marc Goodwin got in touch with the organizers of the race and talked to them about contributing their steps to help us get to Mars and the idea of having race participants contribute their steps began to float around.
How can it be done? Can we do it? What needs to be done so it can happen? Working with Jennifer Visscher, our fearless WYASO leader, we have established a way to partner with events like the Down To Run Endurance Challenge to have the steps count towards our awareness efforts. Down To Run participants can visit a page on the WYASO website where they will be informed about the walk, our goals and about spondylitis. On this page they are also able to register to contribute their distance to our efforts.
Thank you so much Andre and Ludi for “running” with the idea and partnering your movement with WYASO. Thank you Marc Goodwin for sharing our mission to Mars with them. On behalf of those of us who can only dream of marathon participation, I thank you for raising awareness about Spondylitis.

 
For additional information or possible step donations or partnership possibilities please visit our group steps page for more information or contact Jennifer Visscher at [email protected].