JA's Resilient Marathoners Raise Funds for Our Global Network
October 11, 2021
Over the weekend—125 years after the Boston Marathon first laid out its 26.2-mile challenge—JA staff and supporters around the world laced up their shoes in a unique opportunity to raise funds for the JA network and our shared mission to prepare youth for employment and entrepreneurship.
More than 25 JA runners signed up for the virtual marathon, an opportunity provided by the Boston Athletic Association to expand the number of runners participating in the marathon this year, due to the constraints of social distancing on the route itself. From anywhere in the world, runners were able to carve out their own route, encourage friends and family to cheer them along, and run the last few steps through a finish tape that was mailed to participants. A few additional runners had the unique opportunity to run in Boston on the famed course, alongside the elite runners.
The marathon is a difficult task even for highly trained runners. But for JA staff, many of whom have never run or walked a distance anywhere near the length of a marathon, the distance may have seemed impossible. Yet, throughout our global network, staff, friends, and supporters answered the call.
They signed up. They trained. They sought advice. They raised funds. And then, when the day came, they set off on dozens of different routes around the world with one goal: finish 26.2 miles for JA.
What resulted were undeniable feats of resilience. With a typhoon bearing down on Hong Kong and warnings to stay off the roads, Vivian Lau, Vice Chair and Group CEO, Pacific Air Holdings Limited and member of the JA Worldwide Board of Governors, ran laps around a large indoor parking garage until she reached the magical number of miles. Shanthi Kanthaswamy, Executive Director of JA Malaysia, gathered colleagues to walk the distance, in what was, for many of them, their first time ever walking even a quarter of the distance. Likewise, the husband-wife team of Edmond Lo and Hau Yee Ng, Executive Director of JA Singapore, recruited nearly a dozen runners in Singapore to walk or run the marathon, and then charted an early-morning course through the city’s most beautiful sites. Leo Martellotto, President of JA Americas, slated to be one of the in-person runners in Boston, was unable to enter the country and, without missing a beat, caught a flight to Mexico to complete his marathon with Carlos Latorre López, CEO of Grupo Prolomer and President of the JA Mexico board. Bill Schawbel, Chief Executive Officer of Schawbel Companies, at 81 years old, not only completed all 26.2 miles on a treadmill, but also spearheaded the entire marathon initiative, and then matched the fundraisers of his fellow runners. Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide, had never done a marathon before. But he completed a half marathon in practice in early October, then managed to complete the full marathon and finish it standing up with a broad smile on his face, motivated by the playlist of Queen songs he had loaded on his phone. Haifa Najjar’s flight back from a business trip was so delayed that she barely made it back to Beirut for her virtual marathon, but completed the distance just the same. Rodrigo Vazquez Munguia, President of JA Americas Alumni, was told by a doctor to take it easy over the weekend. Instead, he ran 26.2 miles. Camille Francis, a member of the JA Global Council who has given tirelessly to JA in both time and treasure for nearly 15 years, ran her first marathon and dedicated her fundraiser to JA Africa. More stories come from staff and board members in JA Canada, JA Mexico, JA China, JA of Northern New England, JA of Greater St. Louis, JA of South Florida, INJAZ Lebanon, JA Americas who ran, walked, or wheeled their 26.2 miles, all in an effort to raise funds to serve even more young people around the world. And, although speed was never the goal, Ted Mwatha (JA Kenya alumnus), Hernan Zocco (Director of Communications at JA Americas), and Katharine Conklin (research assistant at Wellesley) managed to not just run, but to race, completing their marathons in 3:37, 4:01, and 4:23, respectively.
Peruse photos of all the JA finishers below. We’ll add more photos as they arrive. And we’ll continue to be astonished by the tenacity, self-discipline, and devotion of our supporters across the globe.
Pictures coming soon from . . .
Antonio Quero-Diaz, JA Singapore
Kathia Rached, INJAZ Lebanon
Rita Michelle, JA of Northern New England