About 3,000 people participated in a 4km road run yesterday — dubbed “Power in Me” — that was designed to promote the upcoming Taipei Deaflympics.
The run began at the Presidential Office plaza and wound its way through the streets of Taipei.
The participants, which included more than 20 people with hearing disabilities and 10 visually impaired runners, vied for medals in two divisions — the 4km road run and an 8km race.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Cabinet officials in charge of sports affairs and officials from the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee also took part in yesterday’s promotional event.
In a conversation with Chen Lan-feng (陳蘭鳳), one of the hearing-impaired runners who will represent Taiwan in the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei City, Ma encouraged her to train well so that she could give an outstanding performance in the games, which will be held from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15.
Chen is known as “the deer woman” in local athletics circles because of her swift, silent movements.
Many other promotional activities will be staged in the run up to the games, including a grand opening of the Deaflympics main stadium on July 23 and an invitational track and field meet from July 24 to July 25, the sponsors said.
There will also be a series of large-scale performances to promote the 21st Summer Deaflympics Taipei 2009, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 people from 85 countries.
The performances will include Taiwanese operas as well as shows staged by the world-famous Blue Man Group, a folk music and dance troupe from China’s Yunnan Province and Aboriginal singers, said Emile Sheng (盛治仁), CEO of the Taipei Deaflympics Organizing Committee
Detailed information can be accessed via the Deaflympics’ official Web site at www.2009deaflympics.org.
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