Wing for Life - Run for people who can't!

Come with us while we take on the annual Wings for Life Worldwide Run. Why are we running? For those who can’t. The WFL race is unique on a whole new level. The participants start running together with thousands of people from all around the world at the exact same time. But they don’t do all that running for themselves but rather for a much greater cause. The Wings for Life Organization are a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation and 100% of the participant's starting fees go into spinal cord research and will help to find a cure for spinal cord injury. 

This year the Dirty Habits Crew – @grahamhowes, @jj_boshoff, @martycam, @warren_gregg, @angelo_yon, @oswald_smith, @kyle_cabano_, @mattibuys ran as much as they could for #TeamYdwer (@ydwer ) and for the other legends that have inspired them through their strength - @bradsmeele, @benleclair.

In the end #TeamYdwer managed to run the great distance of 844,7km and collect the whopping amount of €4,077.78!! 

On Thursday 4th February, Ydwer was surf foiling at Noordwijk in the Netherlands when his foil hit the ground and he was thrown forward. Landing on his head he crushed the C6 vertebra in his spine. Unable to move in the water he was rescued by the friends and rushed to the hospital. Within 12 hours he was able to come off the ventilator, however remained in the ICU. 

Since then, Ydwer has been in the rehab center Heliomare in Wijk aan Zee. They have been doing all kinds of therapy (physiotherapy/occupational), alongside sports such as – hand biking, badminton, and ping pong in order to treat him. However, lots of training and busy days sometimes can take a toll on one’s mental health. Nevertheless, the vibe is – Stay Positive, No Matter What!

Now, 2.5 months later Ydwer is ready to train in his hand-driven wheelchair for the WFL World Run! A challenge in itself, however, it doesn't matter how many meters you manage to run, but to participate, raise awareness and help the cause!

For full updates on Ydwer and his recovery, you can follow him on Instagram (@ydwer). 

If you too want to help in finding a cure for spinal-cord injuries check out The Wings for Life official website: https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en 

So, what are you waiting for?! Click here to register for next years run: https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en/locations?viewerCountry=BG 

Or if you don’t feel like running you can donate at: https://live.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/support