Deborah Groeber- Achilles Athlete

Where do you currently live? Glenside, PA

When did you first get involved with Achilles Philadelphia? October 2015

How did you find out about Achilles International? Through the adaptive ski community about 20 years ago but I thought it was only for runners. I didn’t consider myself a runner.

When did running become a part of your life? November 2015
What do you gain from running? A sense of freedom and independence
What is your favorite distance to run? 5K

Who/what is your biggest inspiration? Adam McAvoy who is a young man who chooses to come to Achilles to volunteer his time. He focuses his energy on helping others as he betters himself and others around him. He is always in a good mood.

What quality best describes your personality? Persistence

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time? I volunteer and do Sudoku puzzles

What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter? I bring an opportunity to run with an athlete at a slower pace.

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts?
The opportunity to run outside and the friendliness of the other Achilles volunteers and athletes is what keeps me coming back to workouts.

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Achilles Philadelphia what would it be? Come out and give it a try; it will make you feel great!!!

Tom Burke joined Achilles in July of 2015.  He’s shown no sign of looking back since then!    This is his story in his own words:

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Nine years ago, on August 21st 2006, I was involved in a car accident, which left me with a broken neck. My initial diagnosis was that I would never walk again. I spent six months in hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation at Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia. When I left Magee I was wheelchair bound, and had to figure out how to acclimate myself to daily activities being outside a rehab facility. After months of rigorous outpatient therapy, I slowly worked my way up from walking with a walker, to walking with two forearm loft stands, to now walking with two canes. according to the private rehab facility I have to continue to work out and retrain my body to continue to progress with my health every day. Although I am still working on progressing with my physical goals, I have accomplished my educational goals I set for myself by graduating with honors with Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Finance.

I was introduced to Achilles through Victoria Baker. After attending my first Achilles meeting, and getting the opportunity to ride a hand cycle I was hooked. I played football all throughout high school, and sports have always been a huge part of my life. Being able to train with Achilles has given me back the sense of being a part of a team. Being able to compete again would help fill a void that I never thought I would be able to get back. Having my own hand cycle would give me the opportunity to train, and fulfill the goal that I now have in competing in marathons. Being able to compete and represent the Philadelphia chapter of Achilles would give me great pride.

My name is Angel Ayala and I currently am living in North Philadelphia.   I was diagnosed with ligneous conjunctivitis, and later, my retinas began to detach.  By the time I was 14, I had lost all of my light perception. If you’re worried about such a condition as well, you may want to research on details like can you get pink eye from eating ass.

Philly Achilles has been a huge part of who I am since I first stepped foot at the work out in April of 2015.  I have always been an active person but I wanted to challenge myself and keep active when I graduated high school.  I decided to try to get in touch with Achilles through my dear friend Madeline Garber.  Within a few days I showed up to my first work out and knew I wasn’t going anywhere.  I have always loved to run, but I have only done one 5k and the rest were one mile events.

Running gives me a feeling of complete freedom.  It’s like once I start moving I enter this zone of happiness that is all mine.  What makes that worthwhile is sharing it with people who feel that same sense of joy just running and talking.  I don’t need any motivation in order to get me to the workouts because I know once I get there I’ll see one of my Wonderful guides and know that it’ll be awesome.

My biggest inspiration is my mom.  I won’t take up all of your time rambling about how amazing she is but I will say that she gives me a different type of strength that you can’t get from working out.  She’s the reason I am the way I am today.  I think Achilles is such a great match for who I am as a person because it brings out my happiness like nothing else.   I honestly don’t really know what strength I bring to the Philly Achilles chapter, but if I had to throw a wild guess out there I would say its my attitude and my willingness to keep pushing forward.

When I am not running with Achilles or running with one of my energetic guides, Megan Murphy, you can find me either weaving, writing poetry, or eating.  I also take great pride in annoying and bother my many younger siblings.

If you are thinking about coming out to a work out, My question would be what are you waiting for?  Philly Achilles is more than just a running club, we are a running family.

Walter Elliot once said, ‘Perseverance is not a long race; it’s many short races one after the other.”  I view life as a journey, you might experience heartbreak, sadness, or you may feel like giving up, but with family, friends, and the people around you will help you complete this phase on the trail.