The energy company EDP, in collaboration with ONCE and the Spanish Federation of Sports for Blind People (FEDC) has created “Share your energy”, an online platform that connects all those blind people or with grave visual impairment, passionate of running, with runners that can guide them, both to train and to participate in races

Share your energy is backed by the popular marathon athlete Martín Fiz, that has led the action together with Pablo Cantero, international blind runner, in a video where they run together. “Sharing energy also means sharing the challenges, the obstacle and the finish line. I have enjoyed being able to feel what it is like to run without seeing, closing my eyes, and realizing what all of us can do for others, and not only the people who work on it, but any running lover”, Martín Fiz has declared.

Pablo Cantero, Fiz’s partner in the video, narrated in the presentation how important these initiatives are: “Share your energy is a great meeting point that will enable people that, like me, have partial or total visual impairment, to enjoy sport and make friends. Is there somebody there ready to share his/her energy?”

In the presentation act, all details were given about this innovative web and its technology, easy to use so that everyone can access its content. When clicking on the video on the web, with Google Chrome or Firefox, recognition technology enables to identify that the user has his/her eyes closed, so that it plays once again.

www.compartetuenergia.com, active since today, also shows the directrices and tutorials needed so that different runners’ profiles work together.

One only has to register, indicate the training area, the time availability and the type of runner: usual or occasional. Furthermore, EDP will give race bibs to the pairs of runners that meet through the platform and wish to participate in some of the more than 30 races that the company sponsors.

EDP’s Director General Manager, Javier Sáenz de Jubera, has explained why they have created this initiative: “EDP has become the official energy of sport, as it sponsors and shows commitment with more than 30 races each year. We think that the lack of vision should not be an obstacle to enjoy this great sport”. He added, “we would like to show our gratitude to ONCE and FEDC for having helped us making this project come true and adjusting its accessibility in or platform www.compartetuenergia.com”.

Ángel Luis Gómez, president of the Spanish Federation of Sports for Blind People (FEDC) and CEO of Personal Autonomy, Attention to the Elder, Leisure and Sport of ONCE, stated: “One of the final goals of ONCE is to achieve the social inclusion of blind people or with grave visual impairment in our society. Therefore, the guides’ awareness is essential for the success of this project and will allow everybody a sport as great as running. With this though, I encourage all running lovers to visit this accessible platform. Let nobody stop trying to go out and train for not having a partner or a guide. Now, it is already possible”.

 “The awareness of the rest of the runners is essential for the success of this project, which goal is no other than brining usual runners closer with the reality of blind people, and enabling everyone to enjoy of a sport like running”.

The common goal is to raise awareness in society so that all people may enjoy this sport, and making it easier for blind people to find runners that want to be their guides.

EDP, the official energy of sport, is the main sponsor of the most important races in Spain. Each year, it supports more than 165,000 people that take part in the races in which it collaborates (www.edpmaratones.es).

EDP

EDP is an energy group leader in international value creation, innovation and sustainability. It is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (World and STOXX), and it is moreover leader in world renewable energy.

In Spain, EDP is a model company in the energy market, present in the generation, distribution and commercialization of electric energy, natural gas and services, in which more than 3 million people already trust.

EDP is leader in gas in Cantabria, Murcia and the Basque Country, as well as in Asturias, where it is also model electric operator.