Statements
Mission
Our mission is to enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in running activities or events in order to promote personal achievement, healthy living, and active lifestyles. We transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connections.
Background
Achilles International - Nashville Chapter (d/b/a Achilles Nashville) welcomes all people with disabilities to the wonderful world of running! In Achilles parlance, running means any form of forward locomotion - conventional running, walking, wheeling, or utilizing orthotic or prosthetic devices. In 1976, Dick Traum, and above the knee amputee, began running and within a year became the first amputee to run the new York City Marathon. The experience was life changing, bringing a powerful sense of achievement and self-esteem. In 1983, seeking to provide that same opportunity to other people with disabilities, Dick created the Achilles Track Club, now called Achilles International. Today, this non-profit organization has chapters and members in over 65 locations in the United States and abroad. Every day, in parks, gyms, and tracks all over the world, Achilles provides athletes with disabilities with a community of support. Able-bodied volunteers and runners with disabilities come together to train in an environment of support and community. Within this community, runners gain measurable physical strength and build confidence through their sense of accomplishment, which often transfers to other parts of their life. While our program focuses on running, the truth is, sports are simply the tool for accomplishing our main objective: to bring hope, inspiration and the joys of achievement to people with disabilities.
In 2012, after a meeting with community leaders representing fitness and disability, a chapter of Achilles International was formed in Nashville, and we held our inaugural Hope Possibility® Race in 2014. In 2020, after eight years as a chapter of the national organization, AN Sports Club was formed. AN Sports Club was licensed to do business as Achilles International Nashville, but we were a financially separate nonprofit organization with our own Board of Directors and our own 501c3 letter. Recognizing the importance of our connections to Achilles International, in February 2024. we went back under the umbrella of Achilles International as a chapter and are once again Achilles International - Nashville Chapter.
Impact
Since our beginnings in 2012, we have served over 200 athletes with disabilities and have had over 400 volunteer guides. We operate out of the beautiful McCabe Park Community Center where we have access to the adjoining Richland Creek Greenway and the scenic neighborhoods surrounding McCabe Park. Additionally there is a community room and indoor track available during inclement weather. During fall and spring we add additional training runs at various locations around the city on Saturday mornings. Our weekly runs have been well-attended with enthusiastic athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athlete guides that have enjoyed the camaraderie of running together. Immeasurable accomplishments include improved fitness, enhanced self-esteem, personal achievement, and disability awareness. Other accomplishments include the collaboration between different groups that serve the disability community, such as the TN Association of Blind Athletes, Able Youth, Friends Life Community, and the Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital. Our group has developed strong connections with the local universities, including Vanderbilt, TSU, Belmont, and Lipscomb serving as a site for volunteer service hours and internships for students in special education, Occupational/ Physical therapy and related areas. Our Board includes leaders in the running community, as well as the community of those with disabilities. The synergy of our Board has led to many positive outcomes, not only for our group, but also for our other non-profit partners, in the form of collaborative adaptive events, like adaptive water skiing, adaptive cycling and adaptive climbing. About 90% of our athletes with disabilities had never run prior to the inception of Achilles International Nashville. Our chapter has paved the way for runners with adaptive needs in our community. Each year we host our Annual Hope Possibility® Race which is a celebration of runners with and without disabilities coming together. The event furthers our mission, highlights abilities rather than disabilities, reaches out into the community, and aligns us with other non-profit groups that make a difference every day.
Needs
Achilles provides athletes and guides with safety equipment such as reflective vests, blinky lights, headlamps for use at night practices. Healthy snacks, waters, Gatorade are provided at each practice. Ongoing needs include financial support (e.g., travel, race entry fees, running shoes) for athletes with disabilities to participate in local and national levels. Many athletes require specialized equipment such as handcycles or racing chairs to participate.
CEO Statement
I joined Achilles in 2012 when my young adult daughter who has cerebral palsy thought it would be a fun thing to do together. It has been life changing. My background is in Special Education and Rehab therapy and my passion is running. Achilles organization was a perfect fit for me. Running is a gift and one that I am happy to share with others. I have never gotten more joy out of running than I do when guiding our athletes. They each have such interesting and unique stories. In fact, after all the years with Achilles one thing that I hear over and over from guides is that they believe they get more our of it than the athletes. It is a rewarding place to be!
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Blind/Visually Impaired Centers, Services |
| Secondary Category: | Recreation & Sports - Physical Fitness/Community Recreational Facilities |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
All of Middle Tennessee
| TN - Davidson |
| KY - Todd |
| KY - Trigg |
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Cumberland |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| KY - Christian |
| KY - Todd |
| KY - Trigg |
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Cumberland |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| KY - Christian |
