Chapter Milestones: Greater Phoenix

In 1976, Achilles International’s late founder Dick Traum made history as the first person with a prosthetic leg to complete the New York City Marathon, helping spark a movement that continues to redefine what’s possible for athletes with disabilities around the world.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of that historic finish, we’re celebrating the people, moments and milestones that have shaped Achilles along the way. Today, that movement spans 62 chapters worldwide, each with its own story to tell.

We asked members of the Achilles Greater Phoenix community to reflect on the moments that have defined their chapter, the milestones they've celebrated, and what Achilles means to them. Read Chapter Leader Fai Mo's reflection below.

Fai Mo, Chapter Leader, Achilles Greater Phoenix

What struck me about Achilles from the beginning was the people. They are kind, generous and full of positivity. Everyone comes together around a shared goal: creating opportunities for athletes with disabilities to exercise, set goals, train and experience the feeling of crossing a finish line.

I joined Achilles Greater Phoenix in 2018, but the chapter's story began more than 15 years ago. Early leaders including Steve Gralla, Angie Caruso and Nora Mazur recognized a need in the community and came together to create a place where athletes with disabilities could participate, train and connect with others.

Since joining the chapter, I've watched that community continue to grow, and I've realized how closely that growth is connected to simply being visible.

The more we're out in the community, the more people see us. The more people see us, the more we grow. And the more we grow, the more opportunities we have to get back out into the community.

It's a cycle that continues to build on itself.

One of the best examples came at the 2025 Phoenix Hot Chocolate race, where 54 Achilles athletes and guides participated, making it our largest attended race to date. Beyond having so many members participate together, the event demonstrated the power of visibility. After the race, we saw an increase in new guides joining our chapter because they had seen Achilles out on the course and wanted to become involved.

That growth has been particularly exciting over the past few years. We've doubled the number of workouts we offer and doubled the number of races we participate in. We've also increased our number of guides by 40% year over year.

But numbers only tell part of the story.

What I'm proudest of are the friendships and bonds that have formed along the way.

For our athletes, Achilles provides a community where they can set goals and work toward achievements that may have felt difficult to pursue on their own. For guides, it can bring a renewed sense of joy and purpose to an activity they already love. After achieving their own personal goals, they have an opportunity to help someone else work toward theirs.

That relationship between athlete and guide is incredibly important, and it's also taught me one of my biggest lessons as a Chapter Leader: the right pairing matters.

When an athlete and guide are a good fit, their partnership can develop into a lifelong friendship. When the fit isn't right, the experience can have the opposite effect and someone may not return.

That's why getting to know our members is so important. Understanding their personalities, goals, abilities and what they're looking for from Achilles helps us create partnerships that can thrive both on and off the course.

Those relationships are ultimately what make our chapter special.

People's lives change, schedules shift and members may come and go, but the door is always open. Whenever someone is ready to participate again, they're welcomed back into the community.

When I look at how much Achilles Greater Phoenix has grown, I'm proud of the additional workouts, races and guides we've added. But I'm even prouder of what that growth represents.

Every new person who sees Achilles at a race or workout is another person who might discover an opportunity they didn't know existed. Every new athlete or guide who joins us creates the potential for another friendship, another goal and another finish line.

The more people see us, the more we grow. And the more we grow, the more lives we have the opportunity to change.