Running a Marathon for Bethel China

On the 20th October 2013, 19 children with visual impairments ran 4km in the Beijing Marathon, accompanied by over 100 volunteers. It is an amazing achievement for each child and it was great to see so many people support our kids!

Many of the runners who did the mini, half and full marathon crossed the finish line wearing a blindfold to raise awareness of visual impairment. In a culture where blind people are rarely seen in public, apart from begging, it was a wonderful opportunity for thousands of people to see children with visual impairments running.

One of the highlights was seeing so many men get involved. Over 3/4 of our kids in this age group are men, and they need good role models and mentors.

It was a great opportunity to share Bethel China’s vision with the world: that children with visual impairments CAN live life to the fullest!

Thank you for supporting the kids as they ran in the marathon!

Running is in the air at Bethel! This time of year is a great time to go outside, exercise and have fun with friends and supporters.

Following the success of last year’s Beijing Marathon, we have 18 kids who will be running 5km in the Beijing Marathon on the 20^th October 2013. Running alongside 30,000 other runners, each child will be paired up with an adult  to finish the race.

In a culture where disabled people are rarely seen outside, these kids are doing something very unique. In running, they are proving to the world that they should be taken seriously, that their visual impairment does not need to impair their life, and that they can do almost everything that a sighted person can do.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure that our kids live life to the fullest, one step at a time.

Links:

• http://www.bethelchina.org
• http://www.facebook.com/bethelchina.loveisblind