If you’ve ever participated in Gillette’s annual Walk & Roll event, you’ve probably seen Team Juan Diego. 

Juan Diego Pedevila is a 12-year-old from Woodbury, MN, with a joyful demeanor and a magnetizing presence – which works out well for someone who loves being around people. Juan Diego receives care from a team of physicians at Gillette for an H3F3A mutation, which impacts his ability to walk and communicate. 

“This event celebrates people with disabilities.” 
 

Since he and his family first participated in Gillette’s annual Walk & Roll event in 2017, the number of family, friends and community members who have joined him in support has grown steadily. This year, Juan Diego is Gillette’s Walk & Roll ambassador, putting him and his team at the heart of this annual fundraising event. 

For Juan Diego’s mom, Claudia, Walk & Roll is both an opportunity to come together with family and friends, and a time for new perspectives. “All of the people who surround Juan Diego see him in a different light at Walk & Roll,” she noted. “The event celebrates people with disabilities. We’re together and having fun, and people see that disabilities aren’t something to be afraid of.”  

Move, play, support and connect 
 

Walk & Roll will return September 24, with options to participate in-person or from neighborhoods and parks throughout Minnesota and beyond. Every dollar raised during the event goes directly to support Gillette’s mission to redefine what is possible for children with brain, bone and movement conditions.  

This year, in-person participants will gather at Viking Lakes in Eagan to move along beautiful lakeside paths. After the walk, everyone is invited to dance along to music, have your hair painted, get your hair styled in a wild ‘do, play a spin-the-wheel game, and more! 

“Juan Diego enjoys Walk & Roll so much,” says his mom, Claudia. “It’s fun for him to have a day where he’s the most important person.”  

To learn more and register for this year’s free Walk & Roll event, please click here.