Christina Chase is Managing Director and co-founder of the MIT Sports Lab which works with professional teams, global brands, and elite sports organizations to tackle key questions at the intersection of data, sport and engineering. She holds two appointments in MIT’s School of Engineering where she teaches Sports Technology and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Before this she was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at MIT where she helped hundreds of founders go from concept to company. Christina is a Techstars mentor and has judged for the SXSW Accelerator Competition where she was a member of the Advisory Board. Christina is a former cyclist, selected by the US Cycling Federation to train at the US Olympic Training Center. She has taught downhill skiing in Colorado, summited six of Colorado’s 14-ers across seasons, and her latest sport is kiteboarding.
As Marcel Hug returns to defend his title at the Boston Marathon, he does so with a remarkable track record. A six-time winner of the men’s wheelchair division of the marathon, Hug also holds several world records and Paralympic gold medals. His physical and mental strengths, which have enabled him to dominate the sport, are backed by a team focused on ensuring his peak performance.
As in any competitive sport, wheelchair racers embrace technological innovation. To this end, Hug joined forces with a dedicated Swiss team of engineers, embarking on a mission to build the world’s fastest wheelchair and make it available to all racers. This endeavor united Formula One aerodynamics with Swiss precision engineering and advanced materials, backed by creative ingenuity.
For the engineering team from Orthotec, a charitable subsidiary of the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation, and Sauber Technologies, the collaboration with Hug was also an opportunity to advance a broader mission of promoting freedom of movement for people with a spinal cord injury and similar limitations. This mission is embodied in the world-class facilities of the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil, which offers acute treatment and rehabilitation services, as well as a training home for Hug and other athletes.
In an event presented by the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York and Swissnex at The Engine, the tough tech incubator built by MIT, Marcel Hug and his team will discuss how trust, teamwork, and a competitive mindset together support this world-class athlete, while also inspiring ways to improve mobility for those using assistive technologies.
Program
- 5:00pm – Doors Open
- 5:15pm – Opening Remarks and Video
- 5:30pm – Panel Discussion
- 6:30pm – Reception
- 7:30pm – Event End
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
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Boston
5:00PM -
Switzerland
11:00PM
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Building the world's fastest wheelchair
Speakers
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Bio
Marcel Hug
Wheelchair Racing ChampionMarcel Hug, nicknamed the “Swiss Silver Bullet,” is a Swiss world-class athlete. From a young age Marcel exhibited a passion for racing, participating in his first junior race at the age of 10. In 2010, Marcel’s dedication and talent propelled him into the realm of professional athletics, where he quickly made his mark. He has rewritten countless records, earning acclaim as one of the most decorated para-athletes of his generation. Hug has won six gold medals at the Paralympic games, along with 13 golds at the World Championships. He holds the world records for 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, half marathon and marathon distances. He is a three-time winner of the Abbott World Major Marathon Series. Hug has also set new track records at the Boston Marathon, which he won in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023. His performances have garnered widespread recognition, including nine awards as Swiss Paralympic Sportsman of the Year.
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Bio
Christina Chase
MIT Sports Lab -
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Bio
Stefan Dürger
OrthotecStefan Dürger is Managing Director of the Swiss assistive technology company Orthotec – a subsidiary of the Swiss Paraplegic Group, which operates a globally unique service network for the rehabilitation and lifelong support of paraplegics. Previously, mechanical engineer Stefan Dürger worked as a manager, managing director and independent consultant in national and international industrial companies.
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Bio
Adrian Schwarz
Sauber TechnologiesAdrian Schwarz is a Senior Project Manager for High-End Product Development at Sauber Technologies, a subsidiary of the Sauber Group, which operates the Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber. Sauber Technologies aims to make Formula 1 technology accessible for a broad range of applications and industries. With nearly a decade of profound experience in motorsports, Adrian brings a wealth of expertise to his role. His background as a graduate mechanical engineer, coupled with a Master’s degree in Advanced Studies in Business Administration, equips him to lead projects with precision and innovation such as the development and perfection of world-class racing wheelchairs. Prior to his current role overseeing customer projects, Adrian worked as a project manager for Formula 1 race car development and later as a business development manager.
Partners
Go for Gold: Success is a Marathon is co-organized by Swissnex in Boston and the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York, in partnership with Orthotec, Sauber Technologies, and Presence Switzerland.
