Pittsburgh Steelers sponsor five veterans in Pittsburgh Marathon
PITTSBURGH, PA. (March 23, 2017) – Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers and national nonprofit Hope For The Warriors, five wounded service members will now have the opportunity to compete in the Pittsburgh Marathon, May 7.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers sponsorship, the veterans will run on behalf of Team Hope For The Warriors, one of the Hope For The Warriors’ Sports and Recreation programs, which provides athletes of all abilities the opportunity to engage their competitive spirit at endurance events. Warrior Team members are provided adaptive equipment and race support to ensure that they are defined by their achievements rather than by their injuries, supporting their rehabilitation and mental health, while re-engaging competitive spirits.
Participating Army veteran Steve Siwulec had a hard time readjusting to civilian life after his military service. Unmotivated and keeping to himself, he rarely left his home. He attributes Hope For The Warriors Sports and Recreation programs for encouraging him to get out of the house and back into running and being active.
In addition, after a 2016 heart valve transplant Siwulec is excited to compete in his first half marathon in Pittsburgh, “Hope For The Warriors has helped me set goals that have allowed me to achieve everything I wanted since getting out of the Army and thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers, I’m excited to achieve my next set of fitness goals in Pittsburgh.”
“Much like professional athletes, Team Hope For The Warriors’ athletes desire to push the limits of their physical fitness, while being part of something bigger than themselves,” said Robin Kelleher, co-founder and president of Hope For The Warriors. “Thanks to the Steelers, we’re excited to see five more warrior athletes achieve their goals by competing in the Pittsburgh Marathon.”
Celebrating more than a decade of service, Hope For The Warriors assists veterans, service members and military families with a variety of programming including clinical health and wellness, sports and recreation, community and military relations and transition services.
For more information on Hope For The Warriors, visit hopeforthewarriors.org, Facebook or Twitter.