Dad and son to participate in Marine Corps Marathon – Amherst Bee

Runner Scott Strang, of Amherst, pushes Drew in an adaptive chair during a run in Rochester. The dad-and-son duo will be participating in the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 27.

The Strang family, of Amherst, will be traveling to Washington D.C. for the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 27. Scott Strang will be running the 26-mile race while pushing his son, Drew, in an adaptive chair.

Drew, who is 12 years old, has cerebral palsy, which is a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture.

Despite his disability, Drew is able to play sports such as basketball, baseball, sled hockey, wheelchair basketball, skating and soccer. Endurance sports, including distance swimming, biking and running, are all things Drew has never been able to do.

“I realized that with the right equipment that we could do these things together,” Scott Strang said in relation to endurance sports.

After Strang started running a couple of years ago, he was participating in a triathlon in Rochester when he saw a child, who had a disability, in an adaptive chair that was hooked to a runner’s bicycle. This was made possible through an organization called Ainsley’s Angels of America, which then helped Strang get an adaptive chair, or what the organization calls a “chariot,” for his own son.

According to Ainsley’s Angels of America, a “chariot” is designed to help keep the Angel Athlete-rider safe, as well as safety for the runner, while giving the competitive ability to endure distances ranging from a 5K to an ultra marathon road race.

In addition to ensuring everyone can experience endurance events, Ainsley’s Angels of America aims to build awareness about America’s special needs community through inclusion in all aspects of life.

Strang started the Buffalo Chapter of Ainsley’s in June with a goal to pair up able-bodied runners so that anyone with a disability could participate in an endurance event.

“It’s been great; I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s kind of transformed what my direction was,” Strang said, adding that his son loves sports. “I just thought if I can do this with him, it gives us a chance to do something together.”

The ability to participate in running events has allowed Strang to spend valuable time with his son.

“When we ran our first race I got to see how excited and proud he was. I also got to see what a great community we live in as we got tons of cheers and high fives from spectators,” Strang said. “I certainly didn’t have my fastest race ever, but it was by far the most fun. Ainsley’s Angels has helped me measure races in smiles per hour not miles per hour. I wanted to be able to share this experience with other runners, that were willing to lend their legs.

“More importantly I wanted to be able to help provide that experience for other Angel riders like Drew. The combination has been great and our organization continues to grow in Buffalo.”

Strang and his son have participated in the Mighty Niagara run and have been training together for their upcoming challenge. Strang said they have been increasing mileage every week since then to get both physically and mentally prepared.

“In all of the races we’ve done, everyone is super supportive and cheers in Buffalo,” Strang said, adding that the organization hopes to spread more awareness in the area.

This summer, the Strang family went on a vacation to Virginia Beach, where Strang was able to meet the founders of Ainsley’s Angels of America, Kim and Lori Rossiter. Kim Rossiter, who is known as “Rooster,” is a major in the Marine Corps, currently stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.

It was during that trip that Kim “Rooster” Rossiter offered Strang his extra numbers for the Marine Corps Marathon.

Strang believes in the importance of what Ainsley’s mission stands for, and says the love and support from the organization’s founders really shines and spreads to others.

According to Strang, most people who are running are doing it for either fitness or fun. If a runner already enjoys the activity, they can make it even more significant by being a part of Ainsley’s Angels.

“Having another challenge and to get a reaction and smile from the person you’re running with is pretty awesome,” Strang said.

For more information about Ainsley’s story or the organization, visit www.ainsleysangels.org.

New runners and riders can register at www.ainsleysangels.org/signup.