Two weeks ago, Kayleigh Williamson became one of the first, and quite possibly the first, women with Down syndrome to complete the New York City Marathon. She crossed the finish line alongside her mother, Sandy, and their friend, Tina Muir, both of whom had been with her for the entire 26.2 miles.
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The three first met when Kayleigh and Sandy were guests on the Running for Real podcast two years ago. At the time, Kayleigh had already made history by becoming the first person with Down syndrome to complete the Austin Half Marathon. Since then, she’s literally doubled that achievement by completing the Austin Marathon in 2022, a feat which the city celebrated by proclaiming February 20 of that year “Kayleigh Williamson Day.” She’s also finished 20 more half marathons, and numerous races at other distances.
Kayleigh’s finish in New York went viral, and she, Sandy, and Tina were invited to appear on the Today Show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.
Breaking barriers comes at a cost, however, not only physical and emotional, but financial. Tina has created a GoFundMe fundraiser for Kayleigh and Sandy to help them recoup their expenses to go to the marathon, and maybe give them a little boost going into the holiday season.
In this episode, Tina shares the details of the marathon, what it’s like to be a guest on a hit TV show, and the rest of a whirlwind day!
Resources:
GoFundMe for Kayleigh and Sandy
Kayleigh crossing the finish line
Kayleigh, Sandy, and Tina on the Today Show
ABC World News Tonight segment
Thank you to AG1, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Tracksmith for sponsoring this episode.
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