I'd Climb a Mountain for You
By: Christine Fanning Name: Kathy Adams Often we hear 'I would climb mountains for you,' but we don't usually take it seriously because we know it's just an expression. Kathy Adams, 50, and Deedee McCarty have literally climbed mountains for their friendship. The two met while hiking forty-eight, 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire. Their friendship continues after running the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon for Team Reeve to support Deedee's son, Nathaniel Bibaud, who's living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). "Deedee decided to run for Team Reeve to give something back and take her mind off things," explains Adams. "So I said 'I'll do it!'" A head-on change "His personality is amazing," Adams says about Nate. "He's very motivated, driven, determined. He's really funny." After Nate's accident, Deedee moved her residence from New Hampshire to Massachusetts in order to help Nate with his rehabilitation process. But not even states can separate the dynamic duo. "Deedee's up here on the weekends so we try to do our long runs together for training," Adams says. The Nathaniel Bibaud SCI 5K run/walk On April 30, 2011 in Plymouth, NH, support from family, friends, and local restaurants helped raise $20,000 for Nate. "We all knew someone who could help with a certain thing," Adams explains. "It's hard to fundraise in this time. It's hard, but it amazes you when you ask that people will still give, even if they can't afford it." During the race, Nate even made an appearance riding on part of the course in his wheelchair. Although Nate uses a power wheelchair and doesn't have full use of his hands, he still remains positive. Adams explains that Nate hopes to gain a little more movement so he can switch to a manual wheelchair. Nate's goal is to attain more independence and take a step forward. Doctor's told Nate he would never walk again, but Nate and Deedee are eager to prove them wrong. "If you believe that and you don't try," Adams explains, "then there's no hope at all. He's still determined, strong and motivated." Just keep going Nate's SCI was Adams' encouragement while she trained for the marathon. "I tried not to think about it," Adams explains about the marathon. "Just going out there and doing what I had to do, as far as the training went, was my focus." Mile after mile The 26.2 miles can be more than intimidating, but Adams ran every mile with her goal of crossing that finish line in mind. "If you decide to do it, and put your mind to it, you can train and do it and reach your goal!" Adams explains her ideology about running a marathon. "It was huge," Adams says about the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. "I just felt so emotional for the last few miles." Running the marathon, for Adams, was a huge accomplishment, but she says running for Team Reeve was the icing on the cake, "I would definitely do it again!" says Adams about her involvement with Team Reeve. Learn more |
