Inspirational Runners in This Year’s New York City Marathon
There are thousands of inspiring stories in every marathon. We asked our readers to share the stories of runners about to take on the 2013 NYC race. Below are two profiles our readers submitted.
Name: Jonathan Brunot
Age: 24 years old
Residence: Wappingers Falls, New York
Occupation: Special Needs Student (Severe Autism)
Previous marathons and highlights: The 2013 NYC Marathon will be his 11th marathon.
Number of NYC marathons: 4 completed NYC Marathons; 5th was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy.
Jonathan's story, as told by his older brother Verlaine Brunot: "Growing up with a sibling with autism can be extremely challenging at times. Throughout Jonathan's adolescence; my mother contacted many different special needs programs to enroll Jonathan in as many extracurricular activities as possible. Since Jonathan wasn't capable of telling us what new things he wanted to try, we effectively had to 'throw him in the deep end,' so to speak, and immerse him in everything.
We signed him up for a bowling league, took him to horseback riding, and registered him for a special-needs basketball league. Jonathan was not always enthusiastic or attentive during some of these activities; however, our mother was still determined to at least give him as much exposure as possible to these different environments. It was precisely this determination and persistence that prompted my mother to have Jonathan join a special-needs running club called Rolling Thunder. The selfless volunteer coaches at Rolling Thunder specialized in assisted running with the mentally disabled, and they welcomed Jonathan with open arms.
GET INSPIRED: 50 Ways to Motivate Your Next Workout
When Jonathan first joined the running club, he struggled tremendously. For the first couple of weeks, Jon could not run more than 10 to 15 yards without stopping, getting distracted, or wanting to lie down. Even after two months of practices, Jonathan was still not really grasping the concept of running. Our mom was nearly ready to have him quit, both as a result of her fatigue from constantly pulling him and Jonathan's inability to connect with the sport. The leader of Rolling Thunder, Steve Cuomo, encouraged Olga to not give up on Jonathan and worked with her to help Jonathan continue running. That led to the fateful day when Mr. Cuomo introduced Olga to a running coach named Vincent Delcid. Over the upcoming months, Vincent was able to teach Jonathan to pace himself and stretch, as well as how to approach hills and to sprint at the finish line. Over time, Jonathan developed a great 'coach - athlete' relationship with Vincent during their runs and really began to embrace the sport.
PLUS: Find out what it takes to become a runner, in The World's Easiest Learn-to-Run Plan, Ever!
In April of 2008, coach Vincent really upped the ante. He could see that Jonathan was really enjoying their runs and was getting faster and faster by the day. Coach Vincent told us that he wanted Jonathan to run the NYC Marathon. Yes, THE NYC MARATHON. 26.2 long, difficult miles across all the boroughs of Manhattan! (You can follow Jonathan's story and read more inspirational stories on the official Runner's World New York City Marathon site.)
On November 2, 2008, Jonathan completed his first marathon in 4 hours and 48 grueling minutes and 8 seconds."
Why Jonathan is inspirational: "Jonathan doesn't know his pace or time. He needs help to get water during races and cannot read or understand multi step directions. Jonathan has a life full of obstacles ahead of him, yet every single time I see him eagerly tie his laces and pound the pavement with pure joy on his face... I am overwhelmed with pride and honor that I am a part of his amazing journey. I love and cherish my brother and since he can't advocate for himself, it is my duty to be his voice and share his story with whomever I can." --Verlaine Brunot, brother
Name: Kristy "Borden" Wassenaar
Age: 43
From: Valley View, Texas
Occupation: Ranch Manager of FLY'N H RANCH
Previous marathons and highlights: NYCM will be her second full marathon, her first NYC marathon
RELATED: The Golden Rules of Race Success
Kristy's story: Kristy is running for her daughter, Kelcey Borden, who was diagnosed with lymphoma as a high school freshman. Throughout 2013, Kristy is running in 18 events, mostly half-marathons, to represent the 18 rounds of chemo her daughter underwent, and she's been raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Why NYC marathon inspires her: "Because it is such a privileged to be participating in this historical event on Team in Training's 25th anniversary, and I will be celebrating and honoring Kelcey's fourth year of being 'cancer free'--my hero, my daughter, my Lymphoma Warrior!!"
Why Kristy is inspiring: "Kristy was my Team in Training mentor last season. I admire her strength and her fight to find a cure. She has inspired so many people with her positive attitude and loving spirit." --Melissa Sharp, friend
More from Runner's World:
14 Real-Life Running Romance Stories
41 Awesome Running-Inspired Tattoos
