Raymund Acevedo and Vladimír Martinovský are two good friends who participated this April in the 2010 Marathon des Sables, a week-long, 155 mile (250 kilometer) trek through the Sahara Desert in Morocco, where temperatures can reach as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius).

Raymund, who was infected with polio when he was six months of age and who has walked with crutches since he was five years old, was the first person with polio to participate in this marathon -- considered by many to be the most challenging foot race in the world -- on crutches and with leg braces. Vladimír accompanied Raymund to provide companionship and encouragement.

These two friends walked the marathon to raise money for three organizations that work to help improve the lives of people with disabilities worldwide. There are millions of people around the world who, like Raymund, strive to live active, normal lives. Handicap International is one of the three organizations Raymund and Vladimír chose to support.

Raymund and Vladimír decided to raise funds for Handicap International because they would like to support our work in Haiti and elsewhere around the world. Handicap International has been on the ground in Haiti since the violent earthquake struck on January 12, providing assistance to the injured, managing a humanitarian logistics program, producing prosthetic and orthopedic devices for amputees, distributing emergency aid and setting up temporary shelters for victims of the disaster.

In total, Raymund and Vladimír raised $2,525 for Handicap International.

"This race is not about us, but about helping our fellow citizens of the world who, for whatever reason, are challenged by a physical disability," Raymund and Vladimír wrote on their blog.

Although Raymund was not able to reach his goal of completing the marathon because of the extreme conditions of the desert they raced through, he was still very glad to have participated in the event and he is also grateful to his friend, Vladimír, for his team spirit and for completing the marathon for their team. The duo received a lot of support from their fellow racers as well, “making the whole experience worthwhile for the both us,” Raymund said.

“For both of us, this has been a life changing experience in ways that we are yet to fully comprehend,” they wrote on their blog upon completion of the race.

To learn more about Raymund and Vladimír's participation in the Marathon des Sables, read their blog or go to the Marathon des Sables website.