Olympic medalists Ashton Eaton, Brianne Theisen-Eaton join Global 6k for Water

SEATTLE, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton and his wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton, bronze medalist in the heptathlon, are joining up with World Vision for the world's largest 6k walk for water this Saturday, May 6. More than 23,000 people in 10 countries around the world will be walking and running the Global 6k for Water this weekend to bring clean water to children. Every $50 registration fee brings clean water to one person.

One lucky fan who signs up for the Global 6k with Team Eaton will win a "virtual lunch" with Ashton Eaton, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon. [You can join Team Eaton by signing up here]. The lunch will take place over Skype at a date and time selected by Ashton and the winning 6k participant. The Eatons hope to raise $10,000 to bring clean water to 200 children.

"We want to invite you guys to join the World Vision Global 6k for Water," said Ashton Eaton in a video interview with World Vision during a trip to Kenya last year. "Get motivated and inspired to help communities and people like Phil."

Eaton and his wife, Brianne, met their sponsored child, Phil, and joined him on a water walk to see just how difficult the journey is for thousands of children every single day.

"You can walk or run anywhere you want. It's just 6k. You can do it in a mall, in a park, you could join a running group and do your 6k," added Brianne Theisen-Eaton in the same video interview.

The event's distance is significant. 6 kilometers (approximately 3.7 miles – or 15 laps around a track) is the average distance people – usually women and girls – walk to get water for their families and homes in the developing world. Often, the walk is dangerous, children miss school, and the water is dirty.

Each day, nearly 1,000 children under age 5 die from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and improper hygiene. But thankfully, the number of people without access to clean water is shrinking. Today, nearly ninety percent of the global population has access to clean water, and World Vision believes we can help bring clean water to everyone in part through the Global 6k for Water.

World Vision is the largest nongovernmental (NGO) provider of clean water in the developing world, bringing a new person clean water every 10 seconds as part of our full solution to end poverty. In 2015, World Vision provided access to clean water to 2.3 million people.

Learn more by visiting WorldVision6k.org.

Editor's note: Photos and b-roll of the Eatons and the Global 6k for Water are available. Contact Laura Blank ([email protected], 646-245-2496).

Tweet this: Want to eat w an Olympian? Join @WorldVisionUSA #6kforWater Team Eaton & enter to win virtual lunch w @AshtonEaton! http://tinyurl.com/lzzqnj2

SOURCE World Vision U.S.

Related Links

http://www.worldvision.org