Den Kindern Sonnenschein schenken für eine schöne Zukunft

Give a child sunshine for a better future

For the particularly colourful, interesting running events she has completed thus far in 2007, Brigid Wefelnberg wishes to turn the kilometres she ran in the desert at the Marathon des Sables in Morocco, the stairs she ran, walked, climbed and crawled on the Great Wall of China (approx. 52,000 of them altogether) and the many meters in altitude at the Great Tibetan Marathon and the Wallis Ultra-marathon in Switzerland into help and thus support an Co-op/orphanage in Tibet (www.reachladakh.com/Non_Governmental_Organisations.htm) and the “Akanksha” (www.akanksha.org), an organisation helping very underprivileged children in India, with a particular focus on education.

Donations (e.g. € 10 per 1000 she ran on the Great Wall of China) can be made to account number 91 551 12 at the Volksbank Freiburg, BLZ (bank code number) 680 900 00. Brigid will be presenting the money personally to Akanksha on a trip to Mumbai in January of 2008, where she will be running the Mumbai Marathon.

In addition, as with every marathon trip, Brigid uses her luggage space in planes for bags full of material donations of all kinds. She’ll be taking donations for the Cuban Running Association (running clothes and shoes) to the Havana Marathon in November 2008, as well as to the Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica, the Marathon des Sables in Morocco and to the Gobi March in China in January, March and June of 2008 respectively.


Für die besonders bunten, interessanten Läufe, die sie 2007 bisher absolvierte hat möchte Brigid Wefelnberg ihre erlaufene Wüstenkilometer beim Marathon des Sables in Morokko, Treppen beim Marathon und mehr auf der Chinesische Mauer (insgesamt 52,000 Treppen), und die vielen Höhenmeter beim Tibet Marathon und Wallis Ultramarathon in der Schweiz in Hilfe umsetzen, und damit ein Waisenheim in Tibet (www.reachladakh.com/Non_Governmental_Organisations.htm) und die Organisation "Akanksha" (www.akanksha.org) für schwer benachteiligte Kinder in Indien unterstützen, vor allem bei der Bildung.

Spendenbeträge (z.B. € 10 pro 1000 Treppen auf der Chinesische Mauer) können auf das Spendenkonto 91 551 12 bei der Volksbank Freiburg, BLZ 680 900 00 eingezahlt werden. Brigid wird die gesammelten Spenden persönlich bei u.a. „Akanksha“ bei ihrer Teilnahme am Mumbai Marathon Januar 2008 überreichen.

Zudem nutzt Brigid Wefelnberg bei allen ihren Läufen ihren Gepäckraum im Flieger für Sachspenden und nimmt sowohl zum Havanna Marathon (Nov 07) für den Kubanischen Laufverband Sachspenden entgegen, z.B. brauchbare Laufschuhe und alle Formen von Funktionskleidung, als auch zur Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica, Marathon des Sables in Morokko zum Gobi March in China in jeweils Januar, März und Juni 2008.

Malta marathon picture

Black forest region pictures

The Great Wall of China marathon pictures

Me in Freiburg....

No short cuts...

This story gives me goose bumps. It's interesting how things evolve in life. I remember way back when, during my first longer stay again in Germany, I received a letter from the authorities stating I was to leave the country if I wasn't studying or working as I was in possession of an American passport at the time. I was crushed but had a seat at the University within 48 hours. I still didn't feel too much like a welcome Freiburger - that took time.

Change of scenes, leap into the future: Merzouga, south Moroccan Sahara, 50 meters to the finish of the Marathon des Sables. Probably the most thrilling moment of my life - until now. My feet were on fire after these 249 most exhausting kilometers (as the crow flies!) through the desert, but the race, this week-long sports madness would be over in approx 30 seconds.

All of a sudden, someone standing at the Finish screamed "Freiburg! Freiburg! Run, Freiburg, run!!" Whoever that was, I thought in a split second, must have recognized me by the "1844 FT Freiburg" Logo on my shorts. It turned out later that the Freiburg vacationer had driven all the long way from Marakkesch over the Atlas Mountains to Merzouga after hearing that "the Freiburger" had completed the long night stage of the Marathon des Sables. He wanted to experience his compatriot crossing the Finish line in Merzouga live!

I was simmering with excitement here anyway due to the approaching completion of the race of course, but also because of my fellow runners I'd have to be parting from very soon. Nothing brings people closer together than to be thrown into extreme situations. But now euphoria shot through my entire body running over the Finish line - as we all did - directly into the arms of Patrick Bauer, founder of the Marathon des Sables, and having the Finisher medal put around my neck in accompaniment of "Freiburg! Freiburg! Freiburg!" exclamations. I was overwhelmed, found it awesome to be a Freiburger, to represent the city here at this special event.

My experience tells me, thus, that both at the finishes of ultramarathons as well as with everything else that really means something in life:
There are no short cuts to places worth going...

Pictures from Great Tibetan Marathon 2007