Kipchoge backs KSh100m Race for Mobility wheelchair mission in Kenya

Eliud Kipchoge has backed a KSh100 million fundraising drive to improve mobility for children living with disabilities in Kenya. The Race for Mobility campaign aims to provide at least 200 custom-fitted pediatric wheelchairs through this year’s Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.

The initiative is led by Michael Panther, founder of Hope Mobility Kenya, who will compete in the 42-kilometre race on October 25. Panther is set to become the first person with a disability to enter the marathon’s full-distance category.

Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic marathon champion, met Panther during a courtesy call and endorsed the project as an example of endurance being used to support children and their families. He also urged children with disabilities to pursue opportunities in sport and challenge barriers that limit their participation in society.

Panther will race in a professional racing wheelchair known as the “Red Ferrari”. He hopes the campaign will help children gain access to classrooms, healthcare and social activities, while also advancing the message associated with Kipchoge’s phrase, “No Human is Limited.”

The wheelchairs will be produced and supplied by Hope Mobility Kenya using the World Health Organization’s eight-step wheelchair service process. That system is intended to ensure that every device is assessed, fitted and safe for continued use. Each specialised wheelchair costs about KSh50,000.

Kenya has an estimated shortage of approximately 550,000 wheelchairs and other assistive mobility devices, including about 200,000 needed by children, based on figures from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities. Hope Mobility Kenya says it fabricates and distributes around 100,000 wheelchairs to people living with disabilities in the country.

Panther plans to seek KSh1,000 for every kilometre of the marathon from individual supporters, while companies can contribute any amount to the campaign. The fundraising effort will support the manufacture and distribution of the custom-fitted wheelchairs.