Patrick Wins Gold!

Just one month ago, Patrick Obeng, 35, left Ghana and came to the United States in the hopes of earning a spot in the Paralympics. Kessler Foundation wanted to help him achieve his goals and sponsored his travel and stay in the U.S.

While the Paralympics require athletes to log a certain number of competitive racing hours in order to fully qualify, the economical and geographical constraints in Ghana make it difficult. Patrick, therefore, had to compete in multiple races while he had the opportunity to be in the U.S.

His first stop was the Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10k, the wheelchair division of the Fred D’Elia Ridgewood Run. It is one of the largest integrated wheelchair races in the country. As a track athlete, Patrick had not competed in a 10k since 2004. While his experience was limited, he managed to come in second in the Male Open Division and improve his time by 10 minutes!

Next, he was off to Florida to compete in the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Championships. On June 17, 2011, Patrick competed in the Men 5000 Meter and won gold! His time: 12 minutes and 18.82 seconds. The championships served as the selection meet for the Pan American Games, which will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico in November.

Patrick is closer than ever to reaching his dream of the Paralympics! And it is all happening because of Kessler Foundation and his unyielding determination. Stay tuned to track his progress as he competes in two more races before returning home to Ghana.