Jun 9, 20233 min read

Understanding disabilities through stories: Running wild and changing lives!

Hi everyone, I'm Jo Lodder and I'm thrilled to share with you my experience of being one of the main speakers at a recent event organised by The Professional Disability Network Hong Kong (PDNHK) part of the SENsational Foundation. PDNHK is a wonderful initiative that aims to create a platform for people with disabilities to connect, learn, and grow together. They hosted a sharing session with guest speakers from different backgrounds and perspectives, all connected by disability in some way.

I was honoured to be invited as one of the "human libraries", where I got to share my story of Run for Freedom and how it changed my life and along the way helped people with disability. As some of you may know, I have been running for several years now, raising funds and awareness for people with disabilities who need electric wheelchairs, rehabilitation, education, and employment opportunities. I have completed some crazy challenges, such as running the 5 trails in 5 days, covering over 390km with nearly 20,000m of elevation. Through running, I have found joy, purpose, and freedom, and I want to help others find the same. Our vision is to help empower people with disabilities through electric wheelchairs, rehabilitation, education, and career opportunities.

I also got to hear from other inspiring speakers, such as Jonathan Mok, AIEMA, Jacky Wan, Amanda Au, and Hannah Bent, who shared their personal and professional experiences of living with or supporting disability. It was a truly eye-opening and heart-warming event, where we had open dialogues and learned from each other's challenges and achievements.

I want to thank PDNHK for giving me this opportunity to share my passion and vision with others, and for creating such a supportive and inclusive community for people with disabilities. I also want to thank Manulife for sponsoring this event and making it possible for us to connect and empathize with each other. And of course, I want to thank all the participants who attended the event and showed genuine curiosity and care for our stories.

If you are interested in hearing more about my run for freedom journey or how you can join the movement and make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities, please feel free to contact me or visit my website www.jolodder.com/runforfreedom. I would love to speak at your corporate, school, university or club event and share my story with you. Together, we can run for freedom and help those who cannot.

Jo Lodder is a trail runner, business leader, and philanthropist. He's the co-founder of JNW Asia, a property marketing company based in Hong Kong focused on Niseko projects, and a master agent of SnowDog, a hospitality brand. He's also became the first person in history to complete the HK5Trails in Hong Kong with the Run for Freedom challenge to raise money for charity. With a passion for helping others and a drive for success, Jo inspires through his love of adventure and entrepreneurship.