Who are we running for? Stories that grab the heart.

Mariusz's life changed forever after an accident on the track of a motorbike race in Slovakia. For Jolanta, raising a 5-year-old son on her own, time stopped for a while when she heard the diagnosis - metastatic breast cancer. Kuba was born 11 years ago with a congenital defect - underdeveloped femur. Get to know the stories of people who will receive support thanks to the runners of the Poland Business Run and the participants of the "I help more" campaign.

Motorcyclist after amputation

One of the beneficiaries of this year's run is 27-year-old Mariusz from Krakow, whose life changed in an instant on the race track. A motorcyclist fell over and another competitor ran over his leg. Doctors decided to amputate it. All this happened in July 2021, and today Mariusz has already taken his first steps on a prosthesis and dreams of returning to his active life and his beloved motorbike industry.

– As a former racer and instructor, I would like to provide training in motorbike safety and technique again. This will be possible when I receive an advanced prosthetic leg that will give me stability and confidence in my gait. It will also enable me to help my father in the family transport business. I hope that activities such as working out at the gym or going on holiday will become achievable again and not just a memory from a previous life, says Mariusz.

Support after mastectomy

Jolanta is a 36-year old woman from Włocławek, an independent mother of five-year-old Stas. In 2020 she heard the diagnosis - metastatic breast cancer. Today she is after dozens of chemo and radiation therapies and four surgeries, including a double mastectomy. The aftermath of the surgeries is pain and limited range of motion of her right arm.  Therefore, the woman needs rehabilitation. Her son is the whole world to her and it is for him that she wants to be as fit as possible despite the odds.

– I worked as a medical representative for almost 10 years. However, when I told at work about the illness, I was left alone with it - my employer did not extend my contract and now my son and I live on modest allowances. Funding from the Foundation will enable me to go on a rehabilitation stay, which I hope will get me back on my feet.... says Jolanta.

Fight for the leg

11-year-old Kuba from Gdańsk has a rare congenital anomaly of the skeletal system - femoral underdevelopment. His left leg is currently 6 cm shorter than the right one. The difference in the length of both legs keeps growing. Kuba underwent a number of operations and is systematically rehabilitated. Despite his illness, Kuba is a great swimmer and plays basketball with passion. He also enjoys riding his bike and scooter.

The boy's parents do everything they can to enable him to function normally. They dream about the fact that their son will be able to function like his peers. In April, the boy underwent another operation to lengthen his femur. Thanks to the runners of the Poland Business Run, he received an orthosis that will help stabilise his hip and knee joint for the duration of the treatment.

– After the operation, my son has to wear an orthosis at all times, when walking, sitting and even sleeping. If we didn't have it, we wouldn't have been allowed to have the surgery. At the moment, we know that everything went according to plan and we believe that we are getting closer to the fitness of Kuba's leg – says Agnieszka, Kuba’s mum.

“We listen to these stories with a heavy heart”

These are just some of the stories of people who come to the Poland Business Run Foundation asking for support. Since the first edition of the Run, almost PLN 10 million have been donated for prostheses, wheelchairs, rehabilitation and psychological support for 728 people from all over Poland.

 – We have been running and helping for 10 years now. What's beautiful is that employees of companies get together after work, train together and, on the first Sunday in September, run for those in need. And there is no shortage of them. Every year we receive several hundred requests for help. We listen to many of the beneficiaries' stories with a heavy heart – comments Agnieszka Pleti, President of the Poland Business Run Foundation.

If you want to help, you can still sign up your team of five to take part in the virtual running formula. And for those who don't want to run but would like to support a worthy cause, the 'I Help More' campaign is underway, where anyone can donate any amount through one of the teams signed up for the charity run: Teams.

Meet the rest of our beneficiaries.