San Mamés lights up for ALS

This June 21, Global ALS Awareness Day, Athletic Club teamed up with different associations to promote awareness surrounding Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It’s a day that aims to shed a light on the stories of those people diagnosed with this neurodegenerative disease, as well as the need to develop more lines of research in terms of treatments and cures.

For example, Jaime Lafita, a sailor from Getxo diagnosed with ALS, is close to completing the challenge of travelling from his hometown to the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels. Lafita aims to take the need and the demand for investment in the search for medical and scientific advances to the heart of the continent. Theses are advances needed to find the medical treatments necessary to increase the life expectancy and quality of life of those suffering from ALS.

After sailing from Getxo to La Rochelle in France, Jaime set off on the second part of his journey, going by bicycle to Brussels. On his final stretch to the Belgian capital, Jaime will be met by former professional cyclist Kris Boeckmans, who along with other Belgian cyclists, will accompany Jaime in a very special final sprint after 800 kilometres.