Radical Times, Radical Philanthropy

Sometimes the greatest rewards come from giving to those with the greatest need. After witnessing the ravages of war in her native Colombia, Christina Alban, owner of Pilates Colombia in Bogotá, found the courage and the heart to help restore and retrain the body of a legless soldier.

From the Pilates Style Magazine article previously discussed in the Open Thread Post above:

"Cristina Alban, owner of Pilates Colombia, in
Bogotá, gave free sessions to a soldier
who lost both legs to a landmine in her
country. “He belongs to the nonprofit
organization Querido Soldado, or Dear
Soldier, run by one of our studio clients,”
says Alban. “The program provides training
for injured soldiers to help them to
compete in handicapped sporting events.
Working for a common cause brought
my staff closer together.”

After her work with Querido Soldado,
Alban noticed that her revenues were
increasing. “There was an enhanced loyalty
from our regular clients,” she says. If
you choose to train a client gratis, ask
permission to chart his progress and
share it with the media."

Is there an indigent or low-income handicapped center where you live and work? And if there is, could any of the residents benefit from your expertise?

Any retired military living nearby? If so, could a seriously handicapped or war-disabled Veteran use your professional help? Could you, as a Pilates practitioner, help someone to regain lost movement and to restore compromised physical abilities? And, if so, might the media be interested in a story like that?

Has anyone else out there tried anything like what Christina has done in Bogotá? And if so, would you be willing to share your story here?

Not long ago, Christina shared photos with me of her studio's extraordinary effort on behalf of this remarkable - and hugely courageous - young soldier.

As you might imagine, the pictures were very moving and very inspiring.

Kyria --