Waris Dirie

The first award winner of the Austrian Women's Run Award

The UN special ambassador from Somalia has been fighting against the female genital mutilation for over 15 years.

"Waris Dirie proves that there is a way to overcome outer and inner resistance in order to reach a goal. Women who run train themselves for fighting against such resistance and often reach unimagined horizons", knows Ilse Dippmann, organisor of the Austrian dm Women's Run.

Photo: GEPA pictures

Waris Dirie started at the Austrian dm Women's Run 2004

Waris Dirie trusted in her lucky number 7 at the Austrian dm Women's Run 2004.

The Somalian UN special ambassador prepared herself for the 5 km run with Hermann Maier as her personal trainer.

For Wars Dirie the Austrian dm Women's Run was a chance to represent her home country at a sports event - "this made a dream come true", she smiled.

Waris Dirie has hundreds of thousands fans worldwide - on June 6, 2004 women and girls had the chance to run together with Dirie and to support her charity actively.

Raiffeisenlandesbank Lower Austria Vienna supported the Charity "Desert Children"

For each participant who finished the run on June 6, 2004 the Raiffeisenlandesbank NÖ-Wien sponsored 1,- Euro in support of the Charity "Desert Flower" of the Waris Dirie Foundation.

At the same time a donations account was created.

This donations account was closed in autumn 2004! Please refer directly to the Waris Dirie Foundation!