Feb 14 – Gibraltar Torch Run Athlete Faces Austrian Freeze
Special Olympics Gibraltar athlete Francis Mauro is busy getting ready for the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 in Austria next month. Francis will not be competing but is, instead, one of only 10 athletes from around the world who have been selected to carry the 'Flame of Hope' Olympic Torch in the final leg of the Torch Run which culminates in the Opening Ceremony in the Planai Stadium in Schladming on the 18th March. It will be the first time a Gibraltar athlete has been represented at the Torch Run in the World Games and is a huge honour.
Francis will be in a team carrying the Torch which starts in Bregenz on 9th March proceeding on to Worgl on the 10th where Francis will deliver the first of five speeches he has to give. These will address local dignitaries, members of the community and schoolchildren and his message will be of the challenges he has faced to become the person he is today. He will be emphasizing how important inclusion is in today’s society and what Special Olympics has done for him. The run continues through lower Austria, arriving in Vienna on the 14th March before continuing on to Grazand then Schladming, where the Games are taking place, on the 18th March.
All runners were asked to help raise money for the charity and Francis has been working hard on this. With the help of the community he has already raised an amazing sum of nearly $6,000 which greatly exceeds the target he set himself. He is currently 7th Worldwide of the 133 fundraisers in amounts raised and third out of the athletes. The money he has raised will go towards Special Olympics Gibraltar who have been busy collecting for the cost of sending their team to Austria. Francis' efforts which have had great local support have included a prize raffle last November helped by local businesses.
However, the chilling climax will be a "Polar Plunge" in the freezing waters of the Flughafen See in Austria on March 19th which all the athletes and Law Enforcement Torch Runners are encouraged to participate in. The "Schladming Splash" will be a challenge in itself and Francis said that he gets cold just thinking about it, but that "the cold I am going to feel is just for a moment and it actually warms my heart to help Special Olympics in this wild and crazy way!" All athletes who have raised over $2,500 will be given a commemorative torch to bring home.
As a part of his training for the run Francis will also be taking part in the Seville marathon on the 19th February with coach Kellianne Peliza. It is their first full marathon which fitted in perfectly with Francis’s training schedule for the torch run.
The Torch Run has traditionally been supported by the various law enforcement and associated agencies, and 123 officers from around the World will run hand in hand with the 10 Special Olympics athletes. Gibraltar will be well represented in this as well, as the local Law Enforcement Torch Run will be sending Senior Officer Joseph (Pepito) Gilbert from the Gibraltar Borders and Coastguard Agency who has been supporting Special Olympics for over 15 years and has himself raised nearly $1,000 towards the cause. Pepito will be travelling with Francis to Bregenz in Austria where the run begins.
If you want to support Francis and Pepito in their endeavours then please donate via Francis own Facebook site at:-
www.facebook.com/FrancisMauroSplashPolarPlunge/
Or go to the general website at:- www.specialolympicsinc.donordrive.com/
and type their name in the “Fundraiser search” box.
Pic above: Pepito and Francis at the 2016 Special Olympics Summer National Games
{fcomment}
