Running With Purpose

This year’s CLT Runway 5K on October 17 not only sold out in record time (about 15 minutes) but will also feature runners and walkers from 25 states and Washington, D.C. The oldest registered entrant is 86 years “young.”

Several are returning participants, while others, including Lauren Hickman and 11-year-old Nahum M., are first-timers.

The event will be a special one for the pair, who formed a bond in the classroom at Tabernacle Christian School – Hope Allen Center for Exceptional Children in Hickory, N.C.

“Nahum and I have been talking about doing this run together for over a year,” said Hickman. “So getting the opportunity to finally do it is incredibly exciting for both of us! I can’t wait to cross that finish line with him.”

Teacher-Student Teamwork

Hickman is a special education teacher, and Nahum, a fifth grader, is her former student. He sustained a traumatic brain injury at age five and is now quadriplegic and nonverbal. Despite his challenges, Hickman says Nahum can express excitement through his face and arms.

“I sent him a video telling him we were officially registered, and he smiled from ear to ear and immediately got that arm swinging!” she said. “That was all the response I needed to know he was excited.”

The two are now officially “in training” and are practicing together for the 5K. Hickman will run the course while pushing Nahum in a special racing chair borrowed from the nonprofit group “Ainsley’s Angels.”

Hickman, who holds a master’s degree in special education from Liberty University, says she hopes their participation in the CLT Runway 5K will inspire others to participate.

“So often, people see a disability and immediately focus on limitations or what someone cannot do,” said Hickman. “My hope is that this race is a picture of what inclusion can look like: sometimes we simply need to remove a barrier, provide the right support, and give someone the opportunity to participate. Every person has value, gifts, and a God-given purpose worth celebrating.”

On Your Mark, Get Set, Race!

This year’s CLT Runway 5K will take place on Saturday, October 17, starting at 7:30 a.m. Since its launch in 2019, the race has raised more than $317,000 for Central Piedmont Opportunity Scholarships, which support students pursuing aviation-related careers.