Kristen Doornbos is the owner and creator of the Paper Trails Greeting Co,, which sells greeting cards for the running community. The motto of the company is to “Celebrate every runner, and that every runner belongs.”
She’s looking to back up her company’s mission statement and her beliefs through the Equal Money for Equal Miles campaign, which is requesting that the major marathons in the United States pay equal prize money to podium finishers that compete in the Wheelchair and Para divisions.
“Running is always portrayed as a sport that is for everyone, and yet, there are still some areas in the running community and running culture where that isn’t actually the case,” Doornbos said. “If we’re not truly treating people with equality, are we actually accepting them? If we aren’t paying them fairly, are we actually creating a community where everyone is equal?”
“I want the running community to live up to everything that it stands for. My entire business and mission is centered around the idea that every runner belongs. Can we actually say that if we have all of these areas of inequality?”
Doornbos said that she really started to dive into the pay disparity last year in the major U.S. marathons for the Para and wheelchair divisions. After doing some research, she decided that she wanted to do something about it.
“The inequality and disparity in pay really says alot about how far we have to go in our sport, and I’m trying to change that,” she said.
Doornbos says that the goal isn’t to take any money away from the able-bodied podium finishers, but to allow for the disabled runners to earn the same money for their performance. Such a lofty goal takes bravery on the part of Doornbos, and she believes that she’s the right person for the cause that she’s fighting for.
“I don’t have relationships with the big companies,” she said. “If I say something about it and I start something, it’s very different than a sponsored athlete doing that themselves. I wouldn’t say I’m courageous, but I feel like I’m in the perfect position to be the one to start this.”
Doornbos says that 99% of the feedback that she’s received has been positive, and that the main pushback that she’s gotten has been centered towards the logistical concerns on where the marathons would find the money and how the overall process would work.
Doornbos says that the conversations about the pay disparity in major marathons for disabled athletes gives her hope for the future of her campaign.
“I think conversations are happening now that weren’t happening before. It’s not that I’m the only one having these conversations, but from my perspective, I’m seeing and hearing more of it.”
Some of her followers are not just having the conversation about the pay disparity and inequality for disabled athletes in the major marathons, but they’re also looking to try to bring awareness in their respective platforms.
“I’m starting to hear from some of my own followers about just how much impact it’s had on them, and how they’re starting to think about these issues and how they’re starting to include disability in any advocacy work they’re doing.”
One of those followers who has supported the campaign is Carolyn Su. Su is the creator of the Instagram platform called Diverse We Run. She believes that this campaign is important to the running community because it would dismiss the notion that disabled runners are second-class.
“If we call ourselves a “community,” then we need to acknowledge and honor runners of ALL abilities and bodies,” she said. “To do any less is not only hypocritical, but it reinforces to runners with disabilities that they’re second-class. One of the clearest and most practical ways of validating the efforts and athleticism of runners with disabilities is to award them with equal prize money at these world major marathons.”
So far, the campaign, which launched in early February, has over 600 signatures. Doornbos says that the campaign has roughly gone as expected, and that she’s thankful for the support that she’s gotten so far.
“I’m so grateful to everybody who has shared, everyone who has supported me in this and all of the people who are using their own platforms in order to help this grow,” she said.
Doornbos wants to be able to present the campaign to the race organizers of the major marathons that the campaign is aiming towards. She hopes that this campaign will lead to a positive change, not just for current disabled runners, but future disabled runners in the sport.
“I want the experience of the athlete to live up to everything that our world says they deserve,” she said. “I want them to experience sport in a way that’s truly equal. I want them to live in a world where they’re seen as completely worthy of the same opportunity in sport. That means participating in the same races, and winning the same prize money.”
