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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Daniel Chaplin and Jane Lamb at The Bell Center in Homewood on Nov. 28. Chaplin and Lamb ran in the New York City Marathon in November.
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Photo courtesy of Jane Lamb.
The Bell Runners at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5. Back row: John Larino, Cele Sullivan, Anna Ruth McCalley, Mia Wamsley, Kaitlyn Cashman, Patrick Cashman; front row: Jane Lamb, Robin White, Heather Weston, Laurie Edmondson. The Bell Runners participated in the NYC Marathon to raise support for The Bell Center.
The New York City Marathon is one of the most sought-after races to compete in for many marathon runners.
Some runners are motivated by the volume of participants and spectators at this race, which is higher than almost any other marathon in the world. Homewood resident Daniel Chaplin, on the other hand, was inspired to complete the 26.2-mile race as a representative of people with intellectual disabilities.
Daniel Chaplin is 33 years old and has Down syndrome. He has run 45 half marathons and a few full marathons to raise support and awareness for the Down syndrome community and for the larger community of people with disabilities.
“Representing people with Down syndrome is what my passion is,” Chaplin said. “It really matters to me to support and raise awareness for the Down syndrome community.”
His goal is to be the first person with Down syndrome to run a half marathon in every state, and he only has five states left to reach that goal.
The NYC marathon on Nov. 5 was just another step in Chaplin’s journey of fighting misconceptions regarding physical and intellectual disabilities such as Down syndrome.
“There are very few people with intellectual disabilities or Down syndrome who have run a marathon. You don’t often see [them] represented in mainstream sports,” Chaplin said. “This was one thing I really wanted to do, and it helped me reach my bigger dream.”
Chaplin credits his success at the NYC marathon to the National Down Syndrome Society, which helped him train and prepare for the race and also provided a support runner to accompany him on the course.
“None of this, of what I’ve done with the New York marathon, would have been possible without the best organization ever: the National Down Syndrome Society,” Chaplin said. “They fully support me and really have just gone to the ends of the earth for me.”
Chaplin wants to prove that people with Down syndrome can do whatever they set their mind to, just like anyone else.
“Everyone has dreams, and they should have a chance to show and fulfill their dreams. People with DS [Down syndrome] really are more alike than different,” he said.
Another Homewood organization committed to aiding individuals with disabilities, The Bell Center, also had a presence at the New York City Marathon.
The Bell Center is a nonprofit focused on early intervention for children at risk of developmental delay and their families. The “Bell Runners” volunteer to compete in races as a way of raising money and awareness for the organization.
Photo courtesy of Jane Lamb.
The Bell Runners at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5. Back row: John Larino, Cele Sullivan, Anna Ruth McCalley, Mia Wamsley, Kaitlyn Cashman, Patrick Cashman; front row: Jane Lamb, Robin White, Heather Weston, Laurie Edmondson. The Bell Runners participated in the NYC Marathon to raise support for The Bell Center.
Ten Bell Runners competed in the NYC marathon and were each responsible for raising $3,000 for the center. In total, they raised $44,000.
Among the Bell Runners at the NYC marathon was Jane Lamb, the program director at the Bell Center and mother of a son, Graham, who has Down syndrome.
Everyone has dreams, and they should have a chance to show and fulfill their dreams. People with DS [Down syndrome] really are more alike than different.
Daniel Chaplin
“Obviously, Graham went to the Bell Center and he’s the most personal part of my story, but I represent all the families that come to the Bell Center and all the babies that are here and the struggles their families go through,” Lamb said.
Lamb has run seven marathons total, some on her own and some as a runner for the Bell Center. She wore Graham’s picture on her back during the NYC marathon to represent him.
“He’s always kind of been my purpose. I thought a lot about him; he’s just a joy and such a huge part of how [my husband and I] became the people that we are,” Lamb said. “There were a couple times when I had to dig deep during that marathon and think, ‘This is not about me, I’m doing this for something bigger than me.’”
Anna Ruth McCalley, whose daughter, Frances, also has Down syndrome, was another of the Bell Runners in New York City. She has run for the Bell Center for over 20 years and completed 26 marathons in total, with the NYC race being her self-proclaimed final one.
“The experience overall of the city and the people and knowing what I was doing it for [was] just amazing,” McCalley said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to cross a finish line, ever.”
She wore her daughter’s picture on her back as well, as motivation to push through the challenges of finishing the race.
“I truly do think about, ‘OK, how hard do these kids work sometimes? How hard did my daughter work to tie her shoes?’” McCalley said. “It gives it a lot more meaning; I love to run for myself, but running the races in honor of [others], especially for my daughter, just gives it a lot more meaning.”
Like Chaplin, McCalley said participating in the marathon is a way of helping to change misconceptions about what individuals with Down syndrome and similar disabilities are capable of achieving.
“I think there's still a common misconception of what their abilities are and what they can be. There’s no reason why we should ever think that someone can’t do something like that,” McCalley said. “There’s no reason to think that they shouldn’t have the same opportunities, and I think it’s really cool that a lot of these races and sporting events are making that more possible.”
