Jessica Baer Receives The 2025 Volunteer of the Year from the Philadelphia Achilles International Chapter

Last month, Achilles International’s Philadelphia chapter presented Jessica (Jess) Baer with the honor of being the chapter’s 2025 volunteer of the year. One of the charitable activities that Achilles International does is make it possible for people with disabilities to run/walk/roll with fully able-bodied guide runners. There are 28 chapters across 19 states and Washington, D. C. and outside the U.S. there are 42 chapters in 17 countries, according to www.Achillesinternational.org

“I was not expecting to get this award,” said the 36-year-old Baer. “I was glad to get the recognition; this chapter has so many wonderful and dedicated volunteers.”

Baer has been an Achilles International volunteer for four years, both in New York City and in Philadelphia.

Baer said that she began volunteering as a result of, “seeing Achilles athletes running all the time. I wanted to get involved.”

Baer elaborated that she enjoyed both volunteering and socializing.

Winning the award was not her ultimate goal; but rather it was volunteering and running with Achilles’ athletes.

Besides guide running, Baer has worked behind the scenes on various projects, which involved the Philadelphia chapter.

Last month, when the 2025 Achilles International Relay team ran a collective 1,585 miles; covering Hartford, and Hamden, CT, New York, NY, Rochelle Park, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, D.C. Baer helped organize the Philadelphia segment of the relay. When the Achilles International relay team hit the other cities, they participated with the local chapters as they did their workouts. However, this was not the case in Philadelphia. Instead, the relay team and members of the Philly Achilles chapter walked a few blocks and made about half a dozen stops along the way to admire the different murals.

Janet Patton, Vice President of Achilles Strategic Partnership said the Philadelphia segment was different because she knew that the Philadelphia Achilles chapter had a good relationship with the non-profit organization Mural Miles.

Mural Miles combines running and art to promote both through curated running routes that follow murals, and by creating new public art.

To learn more about Mural Miles, go to:

https://www.google.com/search?...

“We thought what a great way to take in a little extra culture and get some miles in as we walked across the (Philadelphia) streets,” said Patton.

Melissa Wilcox, head of the Philadelphia Achilles chapter said:

““It was so amazing getting to meet all the Achilles Relay athletes and hear their stories. Being with our fellow athletes from other cities helped energize us even more. It was a great reminder of how meaningful it is to be part of this wonderful organization.”

Baer is now focusing on new projects. A key one is that at a future Saturday Philadelphia Achilles workout, she wants the fully able-bodied guides to either be blindfolder or sitting in wheelchairs as the Achilles athletes lead them.

“This will give us (the guides) an idea of how it feels to do these workouts without being able to see and/or to walk,” said Baer.

To learn more about the Philadelphia chapter of Achilles International, log onto

https://www.achillesinternational.org/philadelphia