Krys Wasielewski, 62, of Dover Plains, NY, is running the 2016 United Airlines NYC Half to restore the plane that brought him out of crisis and into freedom. Krys Wasielewski was one of the first people to escape Poland after the country was put under martial law in December of 1981. Before the crack-down on Solidarity, Krys was a Polish Air Force pilot, and in 1982, Krys flew the STOL An-2, the largest biplane every built from Poland to Vienna. The trip was incredibly difficult and risky as all communication was shut down under martial law, and if they were caught trying to escape, the consequences would have been severe. Krys took that risk to be free and eventually build a life here in New York where he has lived for over 30 years.
The plane that brought Krys to freedom sits in the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow as it was retired from the Polish Air Force in 2012. That plane is a symbol of hope and freedom for so many people who were alive and experienced that political turmoil in Poland, and therefore, Krys is running the United Airlines NYC Half to help him raise $10,000 to restore the plane and allow it to fly for another 25 years. So far his fundraising efforts for the NYC Half have helped him get 19% closer to his goal.
The 2016 United Airlines NYC Half will take place on Sunday, March 20. Led by a talent-packed roster of American and international elites, the more than 20,000 runners from around the globe will tour NYC on a 13.1-mile course from Central Park to Lower Manhattan, including a trip straight through Times Square. The United Airlines NYC Half is the opening event of NYRR’s Five-Borough Series: Run New York. Five Boroughs. One City.
