End-to-end Great Wall of China run shines spotlight on health awareness

Extreme adventurer and philanthropist David Grier and his running companion, Andrew Stuart, arrived in Jiayuguan city in July this year, concluding their 4,200 kilometer run from one end of the Great Wall of China to the other.

The run, which they undertook in partnership with Fresenius Medical Care, created a groundswell of social media engagement throughout China and the Asia-Pacific region, with thousands of people following the pair’s run and taking on the challenge to become more active themselves.

Grier first ran the Great Wall of China 12 years ago, with his journey starting in Jiayuguan. By completing the run in the opposite direction — Grier has become the first person in history to run the Great Wall of China in both directions.

Harry de Wit, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care Asia-Pacific, and 10 company employees ran the last kilometers of the Great Wall with Grier and Stuart.

They converged with invited runners from the local healthcare industry to cross the finish line together, bringing the historic run to a close.

Speaking at the official closing ceremony, de Wit thanked Grier and Stuart, and all those who participated in the corporate social responsibility campaign.

“I am proud to have run the final leg of the journey today,” he said.

“I hope the strength and fortitude that these men have shown will inspire every individual and every person living with chronic disease to believe in themselves and conquer their own ‘Great Wall’ with a positive attitude.

“Today’s closing ceremony is not an end; it’s a brand-new beginning.”

Grier echoed this sentiment, encouraging the wider community to use the WeChat Great Wall Program developed by Fresenius Medical Care China, where players accumulate daily steps as they virtually run the Great Wall. “Put on your shoes, and start counting your own steps.

“The steps don’t end when we get to the end of the wall, this is where the steps start”, he said.

Alan Chen, executive vice-president of Fresenius Medical Care China, highlighted the ways in which the campaign has successfully put chronic disease on the national health agenda.

“I was very excited to see how the Back to the Wall campaign was able to span across China,” he said. “Awareness events in Yulin and Kunming received great support from local medical associations, hospitals and patients. Chen said the company is opening facilities in Fujian, Yunnan and Sichuan to support public health system. “This fits with the government’s strategy to allocate quality resources in both urban and rural areas.”

Importantly, the reach of the campaign has extended far beyond China, creating awareness of kidney health throughout the Asia-Pacific region. During the remainder of 2018, Fresenius Medical Care will engage employees, patients and healthcare professionals in fun runs, walks and educational events across the region, and amplifying their messages about health through social media networks.

In a video interview just prior to completing the run, Grier pondered the Great Wall as a metaphor for the obstacles we all meet in our lives: “For every one of us, our lives are littered with walls that block the ultimate dream of how we see our lives unfold. I feel the run of the Great Wall is symbolic to the walls faced by people living with CKD.

“No matter how treacherous the wall ahead, how deep the craters, and how crumbly the road, don’t ever give up on your journey. Put out your hand to the friend that is there with you, and travel the journey together. You will get to the end of that wall.”