FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2012 Refugee Olympian is Crowd Funding His Way to the 2016 Games
Still Without a Country to Represent Runner Seeks
Crowd Funding Campaign to fund his training
Flagstaff, AZ (November 19, 2014) - Guor Maker, a former South Sudanese
refugee who competed in the 2012 Olympic Marathon under the Olympic flag,
is seeking to fund his training though crowd funding in order to represent
South Sudan at the 2016 Olympics. "I'm turning to supporters, family
members, and friends around the world to help me honor my country through
sport," says Maker.
If his goal of $25,000 via the online platform GoFundMe is met, he will
bring along other South Sudanese runners, who will be chosen via time
trial, with the aim of training them to compete on an international level.
"Ever since the day South Sudan became independent, I have dreamed to run
under our flag at the Olympics, but now I have a second dream: to train the
next generation of South Sudan's runners," says Guor.
His training, slated to start in December of 2014, will be in Kenya to take
advantage of the high altitude and the proximity of other world-class
runners.
At this moment, South Sudan is still not a member of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC): membership in the organization is required for a
country to compete in the Games. But hopes are high that South Sudan will
join in time to compete in the 2016 Games. "He's (Maker) an inspirational
athlete with an inspirational story - and we look forward to seeing him
being able to compete for his country one day. Until then we warmly welcome
him under the Olympic flag," says Mark Adams of the IOC.
"Guor is not standing by and waiting for his country to support him in his
training, he is determined to find a way to run in the Olympics by any
means necessary," says Bill Gallagher, director of the film Runner without
a Country, about Gour's life. "My country, my countrymen, and my family who
have died in the civil war are why I get up everyday and run," says Guor.
Maker, who was formally known as Guor Marial, turned down an offer to run
for Sudan in the 2012 Olympics because he felt it was not appropriate to
represent a country in which so many had suffered. Maker also did not have
citizenship or a passport for recently formed South Sudan, his homeland, a
country that does not yet have the infrastructure to support an Olympic
committee and team. And, despite having a U.S. green card and refugee
status at the time, he could not compete for the United States because he
was not yet a U.S. citizen.
For more information about the crowd funding campaign to help Guor train
for the Olympics please visit: gofundme.com/gl9xm0 or write to
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