One local athlete will differ from the rest in this weekend’s SunTrust marathon in Richmond. Jason Coleman will be completing the route in a wheelchair.
Coleman told NBC29 that he once had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, but a car accident 10 years ago forced him to rearrange his priorities.
“At the time, I had just kind of given up. I think that after meeting other athletes, it really made me realize that there’s other stuff that I can do,” Coleman is quoted as saying.
When a University of Virginia co-worker mentioned the marathon to him, he saw it as a challenge and began training for the 26.2-mile race. Coleman said he hopes that his story will inspire others who may be facing obstacles to “ask themselves if they want to excel” and go for it.
He also can’t wait to push his training to the test.
“I’ve had to be so cautious staying on sidewalks and just having to stay clear of pedestrians in my training. I just can’t wait to be in a race where I can just let it all unwind and see how fast I can really push it,” he said.
“I’ve had to be so cautious staying on sidewalks and just having to stay clear of pedestrians in my training. I just can’t wait to be in a race where I can just let it all unwind and see how fast I can really push it,” he said.
For more on Coleman’s endeavor, click here.
