One World Strong Foundation - Boston Marathon Team 2021

Short review

2021 Boston Marathon Team

The One World Strong Foundation (OWS) is a nonprofit organization created to establish a vibrant international community of survivors of terrorism, hate crimes, or traumatic events that provides peer-to-peer hope, support and mentorship to anyone impacted by these events.

The OWS foundation recognizes the importance of connecting communities composed of caring individuals that have themselves experienced trauma and who have also navigated the complexities of physical and emotional recovery. OWS was created by survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings who were inspired to 'pay-forward' the critical support and mentorship they received in their darkest hours. 

In the days following the marathon bombings, a group of Veterans injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, members of the Semper Fi Fund, visited Boston survivors to provide a very unique form of guidance and encouragement. The Veteran Semper Fi Fund representatives were matched with survivors having similar injuries to their own, and their mentorship illuminated the path forward and inspired hope for the possibility of a positive future. The relationships that ensued allowed many of the marathon survivors to move through the healing process, both physically and emotionally, in a much more efficient and effective way. 

Motivated by gratitude for the help they received, OWS recognized that we now have the very unique ability to provide this invaluable support to others. Furthermore, in doing so, our survivor-mentors benefit from a vitally important purpose that supports their own long-term recovery. As the Foundation works with newly impacted communities around the globe, the OWS survivor-mentor kinship grows, providing expanding opportunities to connect, to help others and to perpetuate a healing circle that literally reaches around the world.

How we do it: As an organization, OWS works closely with survivors, bereaved families, first responders, and healthcare experts in affected communities to develop and deploy resource teams to those recently affected by traumatic events both in the U.S. and around the world. The team establishes interpersonal connections through personal visits, secure private networks and social media, and provides ongoing support throughout the recovery and healing process.

At OWS, we strive to unite and heal in the face of division, harm and hate. We want others to know that they are never alone. We encourage survivors like ourselves to always find a way to move forward and never give up. We endeavor to foster global citizenship in order to cultivate a more harmonious and kind future.

Together, we can be One World Strong.

To join our 2021 Boston Marathon Team, please contact the OWS Race Director for additional information.