Get ready to lace up your sneakers, grab your swim goggles, hop on your bike, or move the way you move best – all for a great cause! Uplifting Athletes, a dedicated nonprofit organization committed to harnessing the power of sport to support the rare disease community, launched this year’s 10,000 Mile Challenge, sharing:
Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or just getting your steps in during your jog to catch the subway—you can help us put our mission into motion!
This year’s challenge will take place from August 9-18, 2024. The ten days that the challenge spans represent the 1 in 10 people affected by rare disease across the United States, with the 10,000 miles representative of the over 10,000 known rare diseases. If you’ve been looking for a way to empower rare disease communities across the globe, here’s a fantastic way to get moving while supporting a vital cause.
The ambitious 10,000 Mile Challenge is a virtual fundraising initiative that encourages participants of all fitness and mobility levels to collectively cover 10,000 miles through any form of physical activity. You can walk, run, swim, row, bike, handcycle, wheelchair run, kayak, skate, or whatever else fits your needs to contribute to the collective goal.
The essence of this challenge lies in its inclusivity: supporters, advocates, patients, caregivers, and more coming together to achieve a common objective, highlighting the strength of the rare disease community.
The Importance of Awareness
One of the most profound impacts stemming from this challenge is the awareness it generates. As many people within the rare disease community know, rare diseases often lack understanding and visibility, leading to diagnostic delays and limited research funding. By engaging the broader community through the 10,000 Mile Challenge, Uplifting Athletes brings rare disease to the forefront of conversation.
Those who participate, and even those who are observing, can now educate themselves and the public about rare diseases and the challenges faced by patients and families. This network of empathy reduces the isolation felt by many people with rare disease and replaces it with solidarity.
Through this challenge, Uplifting Athletes also raises funds that can be used to advance critical research in the rare disease space, leading to groundbreaking treatment options and, hopefully, cures. The importance of this financial support cannot be overstated. Research for rare diseases often receives less funding than more common conditions, and research can be harder to complete given smaller communities of affected individuals. By contributing miles and funds to the cause, participants work to overcome these barriers.
How to Get Involved with Uplifting Athletes’ 10,000 Mile Challenge
Participation is easy (even if hitting your stride can sometimes be challenging!). To begin, simply register for the 10,000 mile challenge as either an individual (like I did!) or a group. Once you register, you can set a fundraising goal. While the recommended minimum team goal is $1,000 and the recommended minimum individual goal is $100, you can set your goal to whatever you feel is right. Next, set your intended miles over the 10 days (I put 50) as well as what activities you’d like to complete. Uplifting Athletes offers a great participant guidebook that can also help you on this path.
Once registered, you can donate to yourself or ask friends, family, and other supporters to donate as well. Then it’s time to prepare for August!
Once the challenge begins, simply log your miles each day. You can either enter them manually or connect your Strava account if you have one. Remember, every mile counts in the push for rare disease awareness.
If you’re taking part in Uplifting Athletes’ 10,000 Mile Challenge, also make sure to connect with other participants and members of the rare community on social media! You can use the hashtag #10KRareMiles and #UpliftingAthletes to join the conversation.
Together, we can improve the lives of all people affected by rare disease.
