Michaela Mycroft
Michaela (Chaeli) Mycroft | |
---|---|
File:Michaela Mycroft Wins The International Children's Peace Prize 2011.jpg Mycroft was awarded the International Children's Peace Prize in The Hague, Amsterdam | |
Born | 30 August 1994 |
Occupation | Disability rights activists |
Michaela (Chaeli) Mycroft (born 30 August 1994) is a South African ability activist with cerebral palsy who won the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011.[1] [2] The medal was presented to her by Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire. [3]
In 2004 Chaeli (aged 9) her sister Erin (aged 11), Tarryn Terry (aged 12) Justine Terry (aged 9) and Chelsea Terry (aged 6) founded The Chaeli Campaign in Cape Town to raise funds for Chaeli’s motorized wheelchair. [4] The organization now runs seven programs that impact the lives of more than 7,000 beneficiaries annually.[citation needed]
In 2012, at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Chicago, she was awarded the Peace Summit Medal for Social Activism by Nobel Peace Laureate F. W. de Klerk, on behalf of all Nobel Peace Laureates. [5] In 2013 Mycroft was awarded the World of Children Awards (Youth category) [6] that recognizes a young person under the age of 21 who has made significant contributions in the lives of other children.
On 3 September 2015, at age 21, Mycroft became the first female quadriplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa. She celebrated her birthday on the mountain. [7] [8]
Mycroft made history on 29 May 2016, along with Anita Engelbrecht, by being the first wheelchair athletes to complete the Comrades Marathon, an 89 kilometre ultramarathon run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.[9] This was the first time in the events 95-year history that a wheelchair athlete had successfully lobbied the organizers to have the rules changed; that had previously barred wheelchair athletes from participating. [10]
References
- ^ Children's Peace Prize. "Children's Peace Prize Winners 2011"
- ^ UNICEF. "Girl wins International Children’s Peace Prize for promoting the rights of children with disabilities"
- ^ Kids Rights. "Winner of International Children’s Peace Prize 2011 awarded at World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates"
- ^ Chaeli Campaign. "Hope in Motion"
- ^ Nobel Peace Summit. "Peace Summit Medal for Social Activism - Michaela Mycroft"
- ^ World of Children Award. "2013 Honorees"
- ^ Discover Africa. "Dreamwork Through Teamwork"
- ^ CNN. "The inspirational 20-year-old conquering Africa's highest peak in a wheelchair"
- ^ Sport 24. "First wheelchair athletes complete Comrades"
- ^ Comrades Marathon. "Wheelchair Assisted Participants at 2016 Comrades"