Hundreds of people with physical challenges are showing they can keep up with anyone.
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) hosted a running clinic in La Jolla Saturday. Athletes of all ages participated, but it was the children who proved to be the most inspiring.
Instructors helped kids learn to run with their prosthetics. The children participated in an obstacle course, soccer, and many other sporting events that, in the past, may not have been accessible to children who are missing an arm or a leg.
“I’m looking forward to having fun, doing a bunch of stuff,” said Logan Passe, and eight-year-old with multiple amputations from Brooklyn, New York.
Logan was born with a congenital deficiency, and both of his legs were amputated before he turned two-years-old. He enjoys playing with other children who also where prosthetics.
“It’s nice because I can do it the way their comfortable, the way I’m comfortable, and it’s a win-win,” said Logan.
“As a mom, I’m super proud of him,” said Toni Passe, Logan’s mother. “He said mom, I just want to learn how to jump, so today watching him run, it’s a dream come true to us.”
Local
The ability to help kids like Logan is what inspired Sarah Reinersten to run in the recent Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii. More than a decade ago, she became the first woman to finish the grueling race.
“I really thought about so many of these kids, that’s why I was running,” said Reinersten. “If you want to get back in the game of life, the next step is to learn how to run or walk better with more confidence.”
Over the last two decades, the Challenged Athletes Foundation has given out nearly $100 million in grants.
To learn more about the organization, check out its website.
