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Disabled 'champs' bring heart to 5Ks

ThisWeek Community Newspapers - 10/27/2016

Like any parent, Kim Buzard takes pride when her son, Billy, completes a road race.

"Seeing Billy smile when he crosses the finish line, it makes my heart swell," she said. "That smile reflects his sense of accomplishment."

Billy, 20, was born at 24 weeks and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He also has had to deal with other health setbacks, Buzard said.

But those issues don't keep him from participating in 5K events with the rest of his Westerville-area family.

Billy is one of about 35 people with physical or mental disabilities served by Team Heart and Sole, a program founded by Worthington resident Georgeanna Haviland.

The organization matches its champions with teammates -- runners who push or pull them throughout a race using special equipment.

Sixteen Team Heart & Sole champions signed up to participate Oct. 22 in the 38th annual Great Pumpkin Run 5K race.

"Our mission is to provide inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities through their participation in endurance events and road races," Haviland said. "We want to provide our champions, their families and friends with authentic experiences and help them build authentic relationships through teamwork.

"The champions are the heart of our organization. The teammates are the soul," she said.

All of the teammates are volunteers "who love the sport and want to share it everyone," said Haviland, who is an avid runner herself

Team Heart & Sole is a nonprofit organization; all money raised is used to purchase equipment, pay race fees, and provide team shirts and other materials, she said.

Since its founding in 2011 as a local chapter of myTEAM TRIUMPH, a ride-along organization serving the U.S. and Canada, Team Heart & Sole's race calendar has grown from four events its first year to 16 races this year.

"We decided in 2014 that we had the resources and support to go out on our own and better serve the central Ohio community," Haviland said. "We couldn't be where we are at without the support and work of our volunteers and the running community."

A Team Heart & Sole chapter has been founded in Athens.

The Pumpkin Run was added to this year's itinerary to help extend the season into the fall.

The chilly conditions Oct. 22 meant the champions had to bundle up as they settled into their wheelchairs prior to the race.

Although she wasn't accompanying her daughter, Dani, in the Pumpkin Run, Dorothy Lordo said she trained for 5K events to be able to share the experience with her.

Dani, 19, has Down syndrome and autism. The Lordos live in northwest Columbus.

"The biggest benefit Dani gets is socialization and being part of the running community," Lordo said. "She loves the excitement of the atmosphere at these events."

Kim Buzard said participating in the races helps her son to understand that he doesn't have to let his disabilities serve as an obstacle to accomplishment.

"He's always asking me, 'Do I have a race this week?,' " she said.

Most of the Team Heart & Sole champions compete in many events each year, often with the same teammates, Haviland said.

"It's a community we've been able to build," she said.

It's more than just a community, Lordo said.

"We're all part of a big family," she said. "It's because we all understand each other and have gone through the same kind of experiences. There's a great deal of support we gain from each other and Team Heart & Sole."

At the Pumpkin Run, several seniors from Ohio State University's biomedical and mechanical engineering programs were on hand to observe and talk to runners' families.

As their capstone project, the students are working to create a new design for the chairs the competitors sit in during races.

"We're learning that there are some commons issues with the chairs they're using now," said Megan Hughes, a senior mechanical engineering student from Huntsville, Alabama.

"It can be difficult getting them in and out of the chair and the chair itself is not very comfortable to sit in," she said.

The task of capstone project will be to come up with a design that addresses those issues, said Lily Lou, a senior biomedical engineering student from Chicago.

"This project will give us some real-world experience, something you can't get from reading a textbook or sitting in a classroom," she said.

"It's great to meet the champions and their families," Lou said. "Meeting the people you might be helping makes the project more personal."

For more information about Team Heart & Sole, visit teamheartsole.org.

The 16 Team Heart & Sole champions joined hundreds of other central Ohio runners at the Pumpkin Run last weekend.

The winner of the event was Scott Meyers of Columbus, who finished with a time of 15:52.

The top female time was posted by Joddi Neff-Massullo of Grandview, who completed the 5K race in 21:44.

afroman@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekAfroman

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