Ahansal will be running the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon as an Ambassador for Hope So Bright to raise awareness about children who struggle with autism. One out of ten children are diagnosed with the disorder in the United States and Hope So Bright, through their elite running team and “I Run 4 Hope” campaign, are publicizing the issue and looking at different ways to treat the symptoms of autism.
The majority of children with autism and related disorders exhibit unwanted behaviors such as hitting others, aggression, poor attention, impaired learning or self injury. For parents, stopping this kind of behavior is often frustrating and unsuccessful. In fact, in most cases, trying to discourage often makes the behaviors worse in the child. One way to deal with such behavior problems is application of ABA training or applied behavior analysis. ABA is now an accepted therapy for autism treatment in the US and most health insurance plans to cover the treatment.
Autism spectrum disorder impacts how a child perceives and socializes with others. Social interaction, communication and behavior – crucial areas of child development – are affected. Some children show signs of ASD in early infancy while others develop normally for the first few months or years of life, but then suddenly become withdrawn, aggressive or lose language skills they’ve already acquired.
Marco Olmo is a legend in so many ways but he is held in particular reverence by the Marathon Des Sables community. He has run the race, the toughest footrace on earth, six marathons in six days across the Sahara desert over twenty times. He continues, in his late sixties to maintain an elite pace and to finish at the forefront of the rankings.
I Run 4 Hope take SECOND PLACE in the team competition for Marathon des Sables 2016!
Our team of runners: Carlos Sa, Jason Schlarb, Ricardo Hernandez, Marco Olmo and Harvey Lewis have taken second place in the 31st edition of the Marathon des Sables, the toughest footrace on earth.
The long stage in the Marathon Des Sables is a true test of determination and skill. 84.3 km over rocks, steep hills, the inevitable dunes and river valleys. The courses organizers make sure that they lead the race over some of the most challenging terrain that the Sahara desert has to offer – and that is pretty challenging!
