AWkward Confident

thedailywhat:

Inspirational Motivational of the Day: Sami Stoner loves to run. When the Lexington, Ohio teen was diagnosed with Stargardt disease — an inherited juvenile macular degeneration — she knew she would soon be declared legally blind, and her parents thought that part of her life was over.

But tenacious Sami wouldn’t give up, launching an effort to convince the state to let her and her guide dog Chloe join her school’s cross country team.

With the help of Athletic Director John Harris and head coach Denise Benson, Sami eventually managed to obtain a precedent-setting waiver from the Ohio High School Athletic Association, allowing her to run with Chloe. ”As I told John, she already has a handicap,” said OHSAA’s cross country director Dale Gabor. “She doesn’t need another one, so let her run.”

Sami was put on a 20-second delay to prevent Chloe from tripping other runners. And she is only allowed to participate as a non-scoring competitor. Still, it’s a start. 

And Sami couldn’t happier.

“I don’t run for time or place or anything,” she said. “I run because I love it.”

Read the rest of her amazing story here.

[mnj / runnersworld.]