My absolute FAVORITE part of blogging and building community online is the chance I have to "meet" new friends and share their stories. Today's post is no exception. I was introduced to Candy Granger by a mutual stroller strong friend. I had the opportunity to spend some time on the phone with her the other day, hearing her story and getting to know the heart and soul behind the hashtag #LetSamRace . Have you heard of it? You may have seen their recent feature in Runners World, as their cause has been picking up steam. I have absolutely loved getting to learn more about the adaptive runner side of stroller running. It really is a different community of people than the snack-slinging mamas that I see the most, but it's a powerful, determined and incredibly dedicated group. They truly are #StrollerStrong and I'm proud to have Candy be a part of this month here on the blog!
As a quick recap - Candy Granger was a runner and had run 3 marathons before she had kids. She now has 3 beautiful children including her 10 year old middle child, Sam. Sam has Angelman syndrome, which is a Neuro- genetic condition affecting his brain and central nervous system. He struggles with learning, balance, sleep and has difficulty managing seizures. Although he will need lifelong care and supervision, he has the sweetest, happiest disposition. They have been racing together since he was three years old. She made a last minute decision to go for a Boston Marathon Qualifying time while pushing Sam in the Big Cottonwood Marathon in September. The qualification requirements for those pushing adaptive athletes are exactly the same age group times as single runners. She made her qualifying time (by 11 minutes - you speedy stroller mama!) and was thrilled to have the opportunity to run Boston with Sam. However, she had missed the fine print that said both athletes in the DUO division must be at least 18 years old in order to participate in the Boston Marathon. This is where the fire got lit.
"For about an hour I started moving on to Plan B, because that is what special-needs parents do....we make a plan B. But then something happened. For the first time ever I decided "no", this rule isn't fair, it doesn’t make sense, and I’ll never be able to do this when he turns 18 because I’ll be 54 years old and he will be fully grown. And my worst fear, what if he does not live this long? We have not guarantees here. Maybe my Mama Bear did kick in, but I genuinely feel that the rule is completely arbitrary and BAA should consider removing it. I decided for the first time ever I was going to fight the rule rather than make a Plan B."
Word of their mission spread quickly in internet land, with a close friend of their starting a Facebook group and sharing the hashtag #LetSamRace. Candy and Sam are not the only pair in this situation, so #LetThemRace has also started being used to be inclusive of all situations. Join the group here to learn more! Unfortunately, Candy and Sam have officially been denied entry into the 2019 Boston Marathon but they are not giving up. They hope to continue to build momentum and lobby for true inclusivity at Boston, and are looking towards the 2020 race as hopeful entrants! While Boston 2019 isn't in the cards for Candy and Sam, I hope their story never dies, which is why I wanted to share a little more behind her running story with you all today.
Interview with Candy Granger
Why do you run?
"Why do I run, so funny I never know how to answer that! I guess I run for a lot of reasons and over time it changes. I used to run for the competitive outlet, the exercise, and the way it made my brain function better. Today I think I run so I can be healthier for my kids. My life is pretty demanding, but that one hour run in the morning allows me time to problem solve, plan my day, basically makes me more efficient for the other 23 hours of the day. Having Sam out on the race course with me has been a new and wonderful way to enjoy and share running with him, while also sharing him with the world:) . (When I'm not stroller running, I) often run trails and I find a lot of peace out there. And and of course running is my social outlet. I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing moms and other ladies by sharing this experience with them. Running has been an integral part of my life for over 20 years now. It has changed my life, it’s no doubt one of the greatest blessings."
Candy has run with all of her children. With her first, she mostly ran on the treadmill with a group of moms at her local recreation center while their kiddos played in the kid care. She started pushing Sam when he was 3 and their newest "Rig" is an Advanced Mobility stroller so Sam can continue to join in the fun! She also has pushed her youngest daughter in their BOB stroller!
"Why do I run, so funny I never know how to answer that! I guess I run for a lot of reasons and over time it changes. I used to run for the competitive outlet, the exercise, and the way it made my brain function better. Today I think I run so I can be healthier for my kids. My life is pretty demanding, but that one hour run in the morning allows me time to problem solve, plan my day, basically makes me more efficient for the other 23 hours of the day. Having Sam out on the race course with me has been a new and wonderful way to enjoy and share running with him, while also sharing him with the world:) . (When I'm not stroller running, I) often run trails and I find a lot of peace out there. And and of course running is my social outlet. I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing moms and other ladies by sharing this experience with them. Running has been an integral part of my life for over 20 years now. It has changed my life, it’s no doubt one of the greatest blessings."
Candy has run with all of her children. With her first, she mostly ran on the treadmill with a group of moms at her local recreation center while their kiddos played in the kid care. She started pushing Sam when he was 3 and their newest "Rig" is an Advanced Mobility stroller so Sam can continue to join in the fun! She also has pushed her youngest daughter in their BOB stroller!
Tell me about what it's like to race with Sam.
"Being a part of Athletes in Tandem and getting to participate with Sam as an adaptive athlete has been life-changing. Unfortunately when you have a child with special needs, isolation comes with the territory. I have said before that I am in a 3 legged race through life with Sam. It can be very hard. There’s issues with accessibility, there’s issues with behaviors and health..... but when we race together all of that disappears. We get to spend a few hours being part of a team, we get to be a part of a big experience, and we get to be a part of all the great energy that happens at a race! It’s interesting...in every day life we get a lot of stares. People are curious but afraid to ask. But on race day, the stares go away and we hardly run any of the race alone. People join us for a mile or two here and there and share their stories and ask about ours. It’s an amazing exchange, an amazing dynamic. Everybody’s fearless on race day!
Although his condition has left him with a limited attention span and and challenges with learning, on race day he puts on his game face. He gets in his jogger, helps get strapped in, and we are off. The only time he gets upset is when I stop! He’ll actually start pushing his wheels forward with his hands. After a race he will continue to wear his medal every day for at least a week or two. He will look through the race pictures on my phone, smiling and showing them to me (Sam is non verbal so this is his way of talking with me about the race). I know he loves it because I can see how pleased he is to be a part the race, to be a part of a team. Like any other racer, I believe he goes home feeling proud of himself, and he deserves that.
We’ve also had a chance to meet some really gracious folks who volunteered to push adaptive athletes. They reported similar things. Some of the more amazing stories include adaptive athletes who are living well beyond their life expectancy because they are having these healthy and inclusive experiences. It’s amazing...wait that’s not a good enough word....it’s transcending."
"Being a part of Athletes in Tandem and getting to participate with Sam as an adaptive athlete has been life-changing. Unfortunately when you have a child with special needs, isolation comes with the territory. I have said before that I am in a 3 legged race through life with Sam. It can be very hard. There’s issues with accessibility, there’s issues with behaviors and health..... but when we race together all of that disappears. We get to spend a few hours being part of a team, we get to be a part of a big experience, and we get to be a part of all the great energy that happens at a race! It’s interesting...in every day life we get a lot of stares. People are curious but afraid to ask. But on race day, the stares go away and we hardly run any of the race alone. People join us for a mile or two here and there and share their stories and ask about ours. It’s an amazing exchange, an amazing dynamic. Everybody’s fearless on race day!
Although his condition has left him with a limited attention span and and challenges with learning, on race day he puts on his game face. He gets in his jogger, helps get strapped in, and we are off. The only time he gets upset is when I stop! He’ll actually start pushing his wheels forward with his hands. After a race he will continue to wear his medal every day for at least a week or two. He will look through the race pictures on my phone, smiling and showing them to me (Sam is non verbal so this is his way of talking with me about the race). I know he loves it because I can see how pleased he is to be a part the race, to be a part of a team. Like any other racer, I believe he goes home feeling proud of himself, and he deserves that.
We’ve also had a chance to meet some really gracious folks who volunteered to push adaptive athletes. They reported similar things. Some of the more amazing stories include adaptive athletes who are living well beyond their life expectancy because they are having these healthy and inclusive experiences. It’s amazing...wait that’s not a good enough word....it’s transcending."
How are you moving forward with #LetSamRace after your 2019 denial?
"We are clarifying our argument and continuing our campaign to encourage BAA (Boston Athletic Association) to reconsider for many reasons but most specifically for gender equality and primarily a more inclusive opportunity for adaptive athletes and the DUO division. In the special needs world we rarely get a grand slam, we’re just hoping for a base hit. Sometimes for us, it’s all about stacking as many 2% solutions as you can, because for us those are huge changes. I feel that the BAA has created an illusion of inclusion, and we’re asking them to show that they really are inclusive by removing this 18-year-old age requirement. We hope to keep gaining support for entry into Boston 2020."
"We are clarifying our argument and continuing our campaign to encourage BAA (Boston Athletic Association) to reconsider for many reasons but most specifically for gender equality and primarily a more inclusive opportunity for adaptive athletes and the DUO division. In the special needs world we rarely get a grand slam, we’re just hoping for a base hit. Sometimes for us, it’s all about stacking as many 2% solutions as you can, because for us those are huge changes. I feel that the BAA has created an illusion of inclusion, and we’re asking them to show that they really are inclusive by removing this 18-year-old age requirement. We hope to keep gaining support for entry into Boston 2020."
Talking with Candy really was an amazing experience for me. I have such a different perspective on adaptive athletes and hearing other stories she shared about running with Sam just warmed my heart. If you feel the pull to get involved with adaptive athletes, be sure to check out Athletes in Tandem or other local organizations for adaptive athletes. Volunteering with them can be life changing!
This post is a part of our #StrollerStrong month here on i am STRONG like MOM. Check out all of the blogs here and follow #StrollerStrongVirtualRun on Instagram to see our stroller strong mamas do their thing!
This post is a part of our #StrollerStrong month here on i am STRONG like MOM. Check out all of the blogs here and follow #StrollerStrongVirtualRun on Instagram to see our stroller strong mamas do their thing!
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