Unity Kilometre
On 17 May 2009 the Unity Kilometre participants were the first at the start line for the Nordea Riga Marathon, broadcast live by the TVchannel LNT.
All in all 110 disabled marathon participants from 11 organisations mastered the distance supported by 50 assistants.There were 45 wheelchairs on the track.
People with diverse special needs, not only wheelchair users, participated in the distance– there were five persons with sight impairment, 21 participant with movement disorders and about 14 runners with special needs regarding mental development.
When enrolling the participants, Inga Skestere, Project Manager from “Sustento”, an umbrella organisation for disability NGOS, pointed out that it is particularly important to make adults and young people with mental disability feel included as part of the society.
Aivis Uldrikis from the Paralympic club team came the first to the finish, followed by Andrejs Liņenko from Social Care Centre “Ziedkalne”. 21-year-old wheelchair basketball player Kaspars Turks was the first wheelchair user at the finish. At the finish Aigars Apinis, Latvian Paralympic champion, handed medals to all participants of the distance and their assistants.
The British Embassy sponsored the Unity Kilometre and involved partner organisations: - Union Of The Disabled And Their Friends “Apeirons”, Paralympic Committee, Latvian Wheelchair Basketball Sports Federation, State Agency for Social Integration, and SUSTENTO, who helped attract participants through their ideas and enthusiasm.
The Social Care Centre “Ziedkalne”, Jelgava Disabled Women’s Club“Zvaigzne”, Jelgava organisation “Edelweiss” and the teams “Kurzeme”and “Kandava” as well as “Saulessveces stiprinieki” from Riga. The organisers of the marathon, Nords Event Communications, made all the arrangements for the distance.
Watch a video of the race on the "Apeirons" website
Photos of Unity Kilometre first to the finish viewed and rated on the country's main daily's portal Diena.lv
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