Adam Arents, second from right, leads the Miles to End polio team in a yoga stretch.

By Adam Arents, Rotary staff

For the past two years, I’ve helped coordinate yoga classes for staff at Rotary headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, bringing in a yoga instructor to lead us in stretching, bending, and breaking up the stiffness that can accumulate after too many hours staring at a computer. I appreciate yoga for the ways it challenges me, loosens me up, and quiets my mind in the midst of the cacophony of everyday life.

Recently, I’ve felt the need for yoga even more as I’ve spent hours riding my bike around the Chicago area to prepare for the 104-mile El Tour de Tucson. As part of the group of Rotary staff going to Arizona for the ride in November, I’ve been tapped as our team yoga coach, making sure that we take time to stretch our tired muscles after a long ride. Nothing feels quite as good as a back bend after spending the entire morning hunched over the handlebars.

All this movement is fitting, because the Miles to End Polio team is raising funds to fight a disease that robs children of their ability to use their limbs to bike, practice yoga, or carry out many activities of daily life. We are committed to completing this challenge so that together we can move even closer to the goal of a polio-free world. I invite you to join us in the final push to end polio by making a donation and cheering us on in November.

Adam Arents is a Learning Technology Supervisor for Rotary International, helping Rotary volunteers develop new skills via webinars and e-learning. He is one of six Rotary staff members who will join Rotary General Secretary John Hewko in biking El Tour de Tucson in Arizona in November to raise money for polio eradication. Read posts from other team members, and learn how you can support the team.