Down syndrome doesn't stop Kayleigh Williamson

It took Kayleigh Williamson six hours and 23 minutes to run and walk the Austin Half Marathon last year. The finish line had been dismantled when she got there, but race organizers put it up again. When Williamson crossed, followed by an entourage of police and trainers from a local chiropractor’s clinic, the 27-year-old flipped her hair in triumph. She had just become the first woman with Down syndrome to complete the 13.1-mile race. Someone put a medal around her neck, and later one of her coaches gave her a personalized belt buckle. “I loved it,” Williamson says. This year, she returns with two new goals in mind — to finish the half-marathon in less than six hours, and to encourage others with Down syndrome to get running.

posted Monday February 12th
Running Heroes