The Wings for Life World Run love affair

On Sunday, May 5, love stories loaded the sixth Wings for Life World Run with joy as three couples celebrated the beginning of their lives together.

They said “I do”

Love was in the air even before the start as newlyweds Fabian and Victoria Lauda warmed up for their first Wings for Life World Run as a married couple.

“It is a very special event for us,” said Fabian. “I had a wakeboard accident and an autoimmune disease that attacked the nerve endings in my spine. Luckily, I recovered and can be part of this year’s Wings for Life World Run pain free.”

The Laudas met while they were training for Wings for Life World Run 2017: “My best friend introduced me to Victoria, so he could get out of mountain-trail running with me,” said Fabian Lauda, former Austrian racing driver. But their connection to the Wings for Life World Run goes even deeper: Close friend Reini Sampl drove Victoria to the registry office in the Catcher Car. A truly unique way to celebrate their union.

Also starting their journey together, Rey Maiz and Jessika Kattah returned to the spot where, last year, with the world watching, Ray asked Jessika to share the rest of her life with him. On the start line, while across the planet more than 120,000 runners, wheelers and walkers began Wings for Life World Run 2019, the Mayor of Sunrise officiated at their marriage, surrounded by the friends and family they value so much.  

Deeply involved in their communities, the inspirational couple met at a charity event. They are committed to educating people about their spinal cord injuries and celebrating everything they are able to do – not what they can't. Sharing their wedding at the Wings for Life World Run and raising thousands of dollars with their Team It’s That Wheel Kind Of Love shows their generosity of spirit and how important their communities and the global movement is to them.

She said “yes”

Meanwhile, over at Olympic Park in Munich, Germany, Hannes Klausner and Christine Huber started running in Christine’s favorite event of the year. But Hannes had plans to make it even more special. He arranged to have his marriage proposal displayed on the video wall at 6km, where he got down on one knee to pop the question. Runners cheered and congratulated them, and Christine wiped away tears of joy. Then the two ran on together, full of emotion, into their new life. Love had well-and-truly caught them – and the Catcher Car caught Hannes at 21.56km and Christine at 23.3km.

All proceeds from Wings for Life World Run go directly to spinal cord research. On May 5, Wings for Life World Runners raised more than €3.5 million, keeping hope alive for people worldwide living with spinal cord injury.

The seventh Wings for Life World Run will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2020. For more, visit: www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.