Paralympian to Lead Malawi Expedition Combating Disability Stigma

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Fresh from the Tokyo Paralympic Games, September will see triple World Champion Lauren Steadman lead a 7 day sporting expedition: The Orbis All Inclusive.

The 14-strong team will take on three challenges:

• 1 - Three Peaks: 48km run/walk across hills surrounding Blantyre city. The 5-7 hour challenge of mixed terrain will be joined at certain stages by Malawian athletes and disability campaigners.
• 2 - Village 5km: a short run from a primary school to the community centre. Raising vital awareness of rural disabilities, the team will be accompanied by school children, project co-ordinators, and keen local runners.
• 3 - Zomba Forest Trail Run: 10km-25km run winding through the undulating landscapes of the stunning Zomba Forest Reserve.

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Rest days will be spent visiting community initiatives trying to break the stigma surrounding disabilities in Malawi, learning more about what is being done to advance accessibility and acceptance.

"Not only will the Orbis All Inclusive be a fantastic way for individuals to push themselves both physically and mentally, it'll also bring much needed attention to the issue of disability stigma," said Kate Webb, Orbis Expeditions co-founder. Co-founder Dom Webb added: "Orbis Expeditions can't wait to welcome a mixed expedition to the country we called home for 7 years."

Although completing the expedition will require a good level of fitness, each challenge has been designed to be as inclusive as possible. Each stage will have a support crew including a doctor; halfway pick-up points; slower pace options; and a choice of shortened routes.

Orbis Expeditions welcomes enquiries from anyone who is passionate about disability and sport.

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Kate and Dom will then take the time to discuss each individual's needs before application. The team would love to welcome everyone to the "the warm heart of Africa" but, sadly, Malawi is a long way off from being accessible to all. This expedition itself is pushing to change that, but applicants will require experience of travelling independently, and not require access to medical facilities or mobility aids such as wheelchairs for the majority of the time.

Where it All Started

In 2018 Dame Kelly Holmes led our first Orbis Challenge - Sport with a Purpose, bringing people and Malawian communities together through sport.

2019 saw Dame Kelly return and the team raised £23,000 for a local nutrition project.

Orbis Expeditions is running ten new Sport with a Purpose expeditions throughout 2020, including the Orbis All Inclusive.

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Orbis Expeditions

Orbis Expeditions is an experiential, philanthropic travel company providing specialist planning and logistical support for group and individual trips to Malawi. Kate and Dom have been managing operations since 2008, and are passionate about working with community initiatives under a "trade not aid" model.

Attribution/Source(s):

This quality-reviewed article relating to our Disability Travel Information section was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its likely interest to our disability community readers. Though the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article "Paralympian to Lead Malawi Expedition Combating Disability Stigma" was originally written by Orbis Expeditions, and published by Disabled-World.com on 2020/02/22 (Updated: 2021/02/09). Should you require further information or clarification, Orbis Expeditions can be contacted at orbis-expeditions.com. Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

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