gaia macedonia
CAMP GAIA: Stars on Earth
For the past 9 months as a Fulbright Fellow I have been collaborating with Dejan Zafirov, director of the NGO Gaia, and Dragana Savic-- to integrate new opportunities for all people to lead active lifestyles in Macedonia. A native of Stip, Macedonia, Zafirov has known what it takes to lead an active lifestyle with a disability. Since his accident 5 years ago where he lost his leg and injured the other, he has traveled 3 continents, sleeping along roadsides and under the stars, cycling a total of over 5,500 miles as an above-knee leg amputee. “Camp Gaia- Stars on Earth” combined my love for summer camp and Dejan's goal to inspire others to push their physical and psychological limits and was a great achievement for everyone involved!
THEREFORE, we look forward to holding it year after year!
You can get involved.
How?
Well, it's important to know that the support needed for this project is not just monetary. It is necessary to have training, resources, and equipment sent to Macedonia in the years to come. If you're interested in helping, please email us at [email protected]
Also, keep up with Dejan as he cycles the world. His next trip will be to the US, where he plans to cycle from New York to San Francisco and meet with representatives of various camp and disability services organizations.
Thanks for your interest, we look forward to hearing from you!
Dejan Zafirov
by Igor Trajkovski
The Director
Dejan Zafirov, the director of Gaia, is a native of Stip, Macedonia. And he's one person you can be sure knows cycling and sports. Sleeping on beaches, beside the road, and under the stars across the continents of South America and Europe, cutting through nerves and exhaustion, Dejan has cycled over 3,000 miles as an above-knee leg amputee with a prosthetic. He says he enjoys a fine balance between pushing physical and psychological limits, and accepting his own. Sights are on China for his next cycling marathon this March. The trip comes on the brink of this new project, “Camp Gaia,” and hopes to inspire teenagers to push their physical and psychological limits this June..
You can find out more about him here: Examiner Article
You can find out more about him here: Examiner Article
