October 13, 2015
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Tim Gunton (pictured left) crosses the finish line at the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K.
After flying across the Pacific Ocean from Australia, Tim Gunton arrived in the United States on Sunday, October 18. Following a busy week of sightseeing in New York and Washington D.C. with his wife Sharon, Tim spent Friday morning with Christopher at the Larc School’s annual Trunk-or-Treat celebration.
The most exciting moment of Tim’s trek across the globe took place on Sunday as he completed his run across the Ben Franklin Bridge and along Camden’s waterfront. As Tim charged across the finish line at Campbell’s Field, he was greeted by Christopher, the inspiration behind why he runs.
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From earlier: For a seasoned marathon runner and Ironman competitor like Tim Gunton, traversing long distances is routine. But when he crosses the finish line at this year’s Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K on Nov. 1, Tim will complete a journey unlike any even he has run before.
That’s because Tim is coming to Philadelphia all the way from Tasmania, Australia, to participate in the upcoming race. And he’s doing it all for one special young man: the Larc School’s Christopher Nelson. Larc School, located in Bellmawr, New Jersey, serves students with a wide range of disabilities and is the beneficiary of the annual Run the Bridge event.
Stricken with an extremely severe case of the flu when he was just 3 years old, Christopher, now 18, sustained permanent brain damage that impaired his motor skills. Despite his disability, Christopher has remained active. He loves to be outside, where he is particularly fond of playing on the swings, and rides horses with a therapeutic equestrian program.
Last year, his mother, Suzanne Owens (a runner herself), came across the nonprofit organization I Run 4 Michael, which pairs athletes from around the world with physically handicapped people. Athletes dedicate their workouts and races to their buddies who cannot run themselves.
Suzanne immediately thought of Christopher. “I thought that hopefully he could inspire someone, too,” she remembers.
In June 2014, a few months after Suzanne signed Christopher up, he was paired with Gunton. And the pairing couldn’t have come at a better time.
Recovering from treatment for blood clots in his lungs, Tim was scheduled to run in an Ironman event shortly after he found out. He recalls: “It was really great, because I was a bit nervous. It was an event I had to pull out of because of my initial blood clot. So I could run it for him.”
Knowing his new buddy Christopher was out there rooting for him helped Tim power through and finish the Ironman. And this was just the starting line for Tim and Christopher and the relationship they’ve built.
Since then, the two have communicated regularly via Facebook, learned about one another’s families, and exchanged birthday cards and other gifts. Tim kept on dedicating his workouts and races to Christopher, even scribbling Christopher’s name on his forearm before races, and looking down at it to summon energy when he’s feeling depleted.
“When you’re running a marathon, or a long run when the legs are starting to hurt and your backside is a bit stiff, you start to think about people like Christopher who will never have that chance – to move like that. It gives you the determination to go on,” says Tim.
Suzanne also sent Tim a plush Spongebob Squarepants doll because Christopher is a big fan of the cartoon. Tim has brought his Spongebob along on countless runs, posing for photographs with it so that Christopher can experience his exercises, too.
And in one of those magical moments of serendipity only found in sports, the stars aligned for Chris and Tim to finally meet in person. Tim and his wife Sharon had planned a trip to the U.S., and after learning about the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K from Suzanne, the Guntons made a last-minute change to their itinerary so that Tim could run in it.
Once the trip was confirmed, Christopher was promised a seat right at the finish line, so that he could watch Tim complete the race.
“It’s a rare opportunity to actually see one of his runs. They gave Christopher permission to be there close by,” said Suzanne.
Suzanne will be running the race this year, but has volunteered with the Larc School at previous years’ Run the Bridge events. In her eyes, Tim’s efforts illustrate the impact that just one person can have.
“It shows how you can make a difference in the life of a child. You don’t have to fly across the world. You can make a difference in the life a child in a small way. I hope this inspires others to make a difference.”
For his part, Tim has been able to draw plenty of inspiration from Christopher.
He notes, “People think we’re doing a great service for the buddy, but people don’t realize the inspiration we get from them.”
This year’s Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K Run & 2 Mile Bridge Walk takes place on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. For more information on this annual event or to register, visit runthebridge.org. Registration closes on Thursday, Oct. 15.
