Place
Columbus, IN US 47201
Description
I am Me Jamboree is open to all ages and features two different event courses!! These courses support the inclusion of individuals with physical, mental, and/or emotional disabilities or conditions to fully participate in a 0.5k or 5k race event. There is a 0.5k walk/run/roll event and 5k walk/run/roll event in downtown Columbus, Indiana!! Whether one can participate unassisted, or one needs assistive devices (walker, cane, wheelchair, crutches, supports, scooter, etc.) to complete a course, all are welcome!!
3 hours will be allotted to complete either of the event courses. This removes the stringent minimum mile pace requirement that prevents many from being able to participate in other races. The 0.5k event is approximately 0.3 miles and the 5k is 3.1 miles.
The proceeds from this event will benefit organizations that support and advocate for individuals with disabilities.
**Recreational vehicles/devices/bicycles will not be permitted. Strollers and wagons are permitted.
Route:
Race Contact Info
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
My Story...
Hello! My name is Laura Raiman and I would like to introduce myself and share with you my motivation and commitment behind the I am Me Jamboree.
My father, who is a doctor, began having problems with some leg spasms and walking in his college years. This was fairly minimal at first but progressed. He sought evaluation, and eventually a diagnosis of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) was finalized by chromosomal blood testing. It is passed to 50% of the offspring of the effected individual. With progression, which involves primarily only the legs, my father had to retire early and unexpectedly from his surgical practice. He is now pretty much confined to a wheelchair. HSP is a rare disorder, approximately 1 of every 300,000 suffer from this condition.
In view of its hereditary nature, I had personal and childbearing concerns. I therefore proceeded with testing and was found to be positive for the disorder at age 33. This prompted a variety of unpleasant tests to determine the degree of involvement, as well as to establish exercise/mobility programs to hopefully lesson my symptoms. A frustration for me, as well as many people with limitations or disabilities, is the fact that family, friends, and even physicians minimize, if not completely disregard, the problems associated with these disorders.
Certainly, my life has been dramatically affected by HSP as I am, amongst other things, limited in my abilities to exercise. The harshest reality is this disease is causing a progressive deterioration of a normal lifestyle. These features “turned on the light” that there are so many people, of all different ages, with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities or conditions that are basically unrecognized. In my profession as an attorney, I have engaged with hundreds of people whose lives have been dramatically altered due to medical disorders, mental health issues, emotional conditions, and injuries, etc. I also have a special interest in supporting our veterans who suffer from a myriad of disabilities as a result of their military service.
In view of this realization that there are so many people in need of assistance and the simple fact that many have problems much of society has failed to recognize or understand, I became the creator and organizer of the I am Me Jamboree. This is a walk/run/roll event that is open to everyone of all ages. The event can be ran, walked, or rolled with or without the use of assistive devices. Canes, walkers, scooters, supports, wheelchairs, crutches, wagons, and strollers are all welcome. The event features a 0.5k and 5k course and is scheduled for June 7, 2025.
I hope to make the I am Me Jamboree a yearly event that supports inclusivity and community involvement. I provide you a snapshot of my story and experiences, to kindly ask you to consider participating in this new and exciting event!! 
