Raymond Braun Instagram – I had an incredibly poignant Medal Monday experience, underscoring the global impact of @chrisnikic and the #Runner321 movement.
Started the day with a celebratory breakfast with @deafworldrunnertom, a champion for inclusion in running and trailblazing Six Star elite runner (x2!).
As we were walking around afterwards, we were stopped by a man with Down Syndrome, Ryota, who was admiring the cherry blossoms with his mom. He asked about the medals we were wearing and wanted to take a picture with them.
We started chatting and I told Ryota all about our experience running the Tokyo Marathon. His face lit up when I shared that I was running Tokyo as a guide for Chris to encourage more people with Intellectual Disabilities to build community, confidence, and health through sports. He kept pointing at the photos of Chris and saying what his Mom translated to, “Like me!”
Ryota’s Mom said she’d never seen someone with Down Syndrome achieve such an athletic feat. He was so excited by the idea that he could run the Tokyo Marathon himself. I could see their perception about what’s possible shifting during our conversation.
This flash of inspiration happens every time someone hears about Chris and all the athletes with IDD who are building the #Runner321 movement globally. So proud and grateful to be part of it.
I hope to run alongside Ryota at a marathon in the future.
#MedalMonday #TokyoMarathon #tokyomyfavoriteplace | Posted on 05/Mar/2024 04:14:05
