Episode 197: Equal Money for Equal Miles Petition Created by Kristen Doornbos

Background: We are joined today by Kristen Doornbos, founder of Paper Trails Greeting Co. who is spearheading a petition titled Equal Money for Equal Miles. Despite competing on the same 26.2 mile course, athletes in the Wheelchair and Para categories are awarded only a fraction of the prize money their able bodied counterparts receive. That is, if they are awarded anything at all. Kristen is using #equalmoneyforequalmiles to bring awareness to this issue and spark change. Questions Asked in this Episode: What inspired you to create the Equal Money for Equal Miles petition? Would you mind providing the listeners with some knowledge regarding Para athletes and wheelchair athletes and the disparities in pay at US Major Marathons? What do you feel like are the best ways that individuals can support Para athletes, wheelchair athletes, and athletes with disabilities? As of the 2021 Tokyo Games, Paralympians are paid the same amount as Olympians for medaling in an event, so the argument that asking the U.S. Major Marathons to do the same is not a new concept. Why do you believe that the U.S. Major Marathons are not offering the same monetary awards for Para and wheelchair athletes? How do you believe that these marathons would benefit from offering equal prize money? Why do you feel that representation is crucial for Para and wheelchair athletes? What do you believe participation in sport provides for Para athletes, wheelchair athletes, and athletes with disabilities? How can others get involved and spread awareness to create change in prize money awarded by U.S. Major Marathons? Show notes: 1. Sign the petition on on change.org.  2. On Instagram: Look for the “Equal Money for Equal Miles” image as the cover of a carousel post originating from @papertrailsgreetingco and @kristendoornbos. Please interact with the post! Like, save, comment, and most importantly, SHARE to your own stories. The IG algorithm rewards this early interaction by prioritizing the post in people’s feeds, and more views = more signatures. Ask your own followers to reshare the post. If you have close connections to running influencers, disability advocates, podcasters, media, coaches, running brands, pro athletes, and especially Wheelchair/Para athletes… please SHARE THE POST with them and ask them to sign & repost. 3. TAG @bostonmarathon, @chimarathon, and @nycmarathon. We WANT them seeing this. 4. When posting to your own stories, please copy and paste the Petition Link onto a Link Sticker. This makes it easier for your own followers to find & sign. You can also use the hashtag #equalmoneyforequalmiles Today's Sponsor: Shout-out to Athlete Blood Test for supporting this episode! Use code "SRC15" for 15% off your order!