DANVILLE, Va. – Let’s face it, running isn’t for all of us, but for a Danville man, it’s become his passion.
Now, he’s using it to bring a community closer and make a difference for children with special needs all over Virginia.
Despite the rain Thursday, Danville 12-year-old Arwynne Liberty had to take her sweet new ride for a spin.
“When I was expecting Arwynne, I went in for a routine ultrasound,” her mom Deanne Liberty says. “They found a heart defect and some other things that indicated that she probably had down syndrome.”
But Deanne says it doesn’t hold her back.
“Arwynne does not meet a stranger,” she says. “Arwynne is full of life and loves people.”
That’s easy to see when you watch her with Steve Scott. The two only met a week ago, and they’re about to get a whole lot closer.
Steve is taking Arwynne along on his weekend 10K for the River City’s Bridge2Bridge cancer run.
“This is going to be a different world for me,” Steve says. “But I’m willing to take the challenge.”
Steve runs all over the world, but it was during a stunt in Richmond where he met a little girl with special needs that set him on this journey.
“After doing that, the good man upstairs put something in my heart to say, ‘Hey, let’s go after this.’ I had a brother who had CP when I was growing up too,” he says. “I’ve been in that world as a kid growing up in it. I feel like it’s a way of giving back to the community.”
After about 10 practice runs, Steve had to tell Arwynne he was saving his legs for the big race. He hopes the two of them can open the door for other families like the Libertys.
“Not all other parents or other people can relate to some of your circumstances and situations,” Deanne says. “It’s very helpful if you can have a community of other people for support.”
To contact Steve, or get involved, you can call 434-334-9936 or email at runninghoka777@gmail.com.
For information about Saturday’s event, click here.