Gerhardter is unperturbed:

“I’ll keep fighting until a cure is possible”

Anita Gerhardter and her Wings for Life Foundation have been fighting to cure paraplegia since 2004. On Sunday, several charity runs will take place in parallel around the world.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Wings for Life boss Anita Gerhardter explains in an interview why the World Run is not about individual top performances, but about community performances.

"I'm not a great runner myself," admits Wings for Life boss Anita Gerhardter in an interview with Krone. However, the worldwide running event in aid of spinal cord research is not about top sporting performance. "The important thing is just to be there. Whether it's a mom with a stroller, a walker or even someone with a walking disability - it's always particularly touching to see people at our events who would never take part in a 'normal' run," says Anita Gerhardter.

Paralyzed David Mzee can now walk again thanks to electrical stimulation.(Bild: Romina Amato for Wings for Life World Run)

David Mzee is also keen to run regularly for a good cause - especially now that his legs can carry him again. The Swiss-born runner is probably the most "visible" success of Wings for Life so far. Thanks to research funded by proceeds from the Wings for Life World Run, he was able to learn to walk again using electrical stimulation.

On Sunday, several charity runs will take place in parallel around the world.(Bild: Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool)

"The difficult thing is that no two spinal cord injuries are the same," explains Anita Gerhardter. Accordingly, there are many research approaches by scientists all over the world. The Wings for Life Foundation has funded around 300 projects to date. "Unfortunately, there is still no definitive solution that can completely cure spinal cord injuries. But I will keep fighting until that time comes," says Gerhardter.

She will show her commitment tomorrow on the track in Zadar, Croatia. There she is looking forward to running comfortably with the local organization team. The Wings for Life boss wants to cover five, six, maybe even seven kilometers at this year's run.