Winner Named in CIGNA Falmouth Road Race Challenge

For the second consecutive year, the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race Challenge is honoring inspiring individuals for outstanding personal triumph over adversity. CIGNA’s national contest celebrates people who have overcome life-altering disabilities or illnesses and set an example for others to follow. The winner of the contest was Nicholas LaRaia of Oxford, N.C. who lost his leg below the knee in a bicycle accident and has become a mentor and example to people with prosthetics. Nick will join the CIGNA Running Team at the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race on August 9, 2009, along with the people who were awarded Honorable Mentions in the contest, all of whom reside in Upstate New York.

"All of the people who submitted essays are an inspiration to everyone -- they have overcome what most would consider insurmountable obstacles to live life to the fullest and to contribute to their communities,” said Dr. Dick Salmon, national medical for CIGNA, and a participant in the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race for most of the past 15 years. "We are very pleased to welcome the top entries to participate with the CIGNA Running Team this year.”

Upstate New Yorkers who were recognized with Honorable Mentions include:

Angelique Papadopoulos of Cohoes, N.Y.

Even in the midst of her own battle against Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Angelique, a registered nurse, still manages to find an outlet to care for and help others. Angelique is a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, which raises money for blood cancer research through race sponsorships. Learning that exercise helps during and after chemotherapy treatments, she said that running, "the outlet that kept me sane when life got hectic, the tool I always leaned on to keep me fit, the sport that gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride and joy, would still be my friend in my darkest hours.” While she once ran for herself, she now runs to inspire struggling teammates to finish a race and credits them with giving her the tools to live out her life and dreams. She is hoping more people can be inspired by her example and gather strength from her determination to conquer their cancer. "And so dream I will, and on I’ll run to health, to happiness and hopefully to remission.”

Tammy Delano of Rome, N.Y.

As a 35-year-old woman born with spina bifida, Tammy has had to overcome obstacles her entire life. She relies on crutches to walk and has endured numerous surgeries. Six years ago, she had her kidney removed and went through a complicated year-long recovery. However, it was in June 2002 that Tammy confronted her biggest challenge. She went into a treatment center for bulimia, something she had been struggling with for over 13 years. At the center, she learned about wheelchair sports and participated in her first wheelchair 15K road race. Not only did Tammy cross the finish line, she set and reached her goal and now there is no stopping her. She is involved in various other sports including skiing, bowling and is the female alternate to Team USA’s Wheelchair Curling Team. In addition, she serves as a role model for other young people by speaking out about her own personal story to raise disability awareness and, "show that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”

"We are honored to recognize these inspiring individuals,” said Dr. Salmon. "They have achieved amazing goals and are role models for us all.”

To learn more about the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race and the winner’s road to the race, visit CIGNA's website at www.cigna.com/falmouthroadrace.

About CIGNA

CIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and security. CIGNA Corporation's operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance, to approximately 47 million people throughout the United States and around the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=18

About the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race

The Falmouth Road Race was founded in 1973 and has been named the "Best USA Road Race” by Runner’s World magazine. It has also been featured in Life Magazine and Sports Illustrated, as well as on CBS television and ESPN. In 2005, it was named in Sports Illustrated "One of the 25 essential things to do in the summer.” It was the only road race listed. Proceeds from the race benefit Falmouth school programs and youth organizations. The race annually receives more than 25,000 requests for entry forms and fills its field of 10,000 in less than a week. For more information visit www.FalmouthRoadRace.com