GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Challenge Enterprises of North Florida partnered again with the Ability Experience to support athletes with disabilities.

This year’s event on March 4 will be their fourth year partnering together to participate in The Run for Inclusion at the Gate River Run.

“We are thrilled to be participating in the Gate River Run again this year. We have an incredible team that truly believes in making this event inclusive for athletes of all abilities,” Andrew Matznick, Assistant Executive Director of Programs at The Ability Experience, said.

In 2020, Challenge Enterprises and The Ability Experience started participating in the 15-K race at Gate River Run with only four differently-abled athletes, 12 support athletes and a small budget. Five differently-abled and 18 support athletes participated in the race the following year. In 2022, Challenge Enterprises and The Ability Experience participated in the 5-k race and had 16 athletes and 24 support athletes.

A team of 14 differently-abled athletes and 31 support athletes will participate in the Challenge Mile, 15-K and 5-K race at the Run for Inclusion.

“We have been blown away by the growth of our team since 2020,” Matznick said. “It speaks to the impact that the Enabled Athletes, athletes with disabilities, have on the team as well as the inspiration and joy they bring to the event.”

Participating in the Gate River Run will allow Challenge Enterprises to showcase their drive for inclusion in the community and share their vision to promote the Power of People and Possibilities. The race will also let individuals with different abilities shine by sharing their achievements, story, and contributions to the community.

“Behind every race bib is a story about overcoming obstacles on the road to greater independence and achievement.” Stephanie Young, Director of Marketing and Communications at Challenge Enterprises of North Florida, said.

Currently, Challenge Enterprises and The Ability Experience are forming a fundraiser team to ensure that their differently-abled athletes can participate in the race without difficulty.

All funds raised go toward the expenses of participating in the Gate River Run and towards other adaptive sports opportunities.

To learn more about Challenge Enterprises, visit www.challengeenterprises.org.

To learn more about The Ability Experience, visit abilityexperience.org.