A Halloween parade
and some
with stories to inspire on this
week's Good Start.
Hey guys, and welcome to Good Start.
I'm Sally Turner.
For our first story, a Children's
Rehabilitation Center in Michigan
upped their Halloween game at a
parade thanks to some volunteers
who made Halloween dreams come true.
Last weekend, Mary Free Bed
Heroes Parade, featuring over
30
From a spaceship to a construction
truck, and even the Grinch in a
sleigh, these costumes took
Halloween
For an adaptive costume,
I think it helps him when he's trick
or treating.
People notice the costume versus
just the person in the chair.
So I just think it was a really cool
idea.
The costumes are
who worked on them in the weeks
leading up to the parade.
We want it to be a surprise
when they come in, so we build the
frame and then they come back and
it's a complete costume.
The kids first saw their costumes
right before the parade begun
and everything turned out perfectly.
To see the kid's face light up,
to see them be able to do something
that they really haven't been able
to do.
They choose the costume from the
very beginning.
We build it to exactly what they
want. So they're really getting to
choose what they want to be.
Between the elaborate costumes and
the smiles on those little faces,
I can't decide which is better.
And if you'd like to get involved,
you can check back with Mary Free
Bed Rehab Center for more
volunteer opportunities.
And for our main story, the
49th Annual TCS New
York City Marathon will take place
this weekend.
Professional and amateur runners
from around the world will race
through all five boroughs.
We caught up with a few inspiring
runners to keep an eye on
ahead of the big day.
The TCS
Running the New York City Marathon
has been one of those things that I
just love to do.
I started in 1991 and this will be
my 28th.
The race is put on by New York Road
Runners, a nonprofit organization.
We like to say it's where the world
comes to run.
Greatest city in the world, greatest
marathon in the world.
26 miles through five boroughs.
You've got over a million people
cheering on that day.
Our mission is to help and inspire
people through running.
We have lots of people that run for
charity and you've raised over 40
million dollars a year.
including New Jersey resident
Roberta Groner, a 41-year-old
This will be my third New York City
marathon. So I didn't start in
the pro level and I ended up placing
19th that year and I, kind
of I was surprised.
And then last year, I started as a
part of the pro.
So that was super exciting.
Roberta's love of running began in
middle school.
She
through a scholarship
Walking away from the sport for 10
years actually saved myself a little
bit. I get questioned a lot
about, like, what if you didn't walk
away, you could have competed at, in
your 20s at this level.
I don't know. I don't think that's
my story. My story is that you can
walk away from something and
possibly still achieve your goals.
Roberta
in Doha last month where she
and with the New York City Marathon
this weekend, she'll be
Why not try to do two marathons in
five weeks.
Until you try it, you don't know you
can't do it.
The vibrance of the city, you know,
running through all five boroughs.
I feel like it's just extra alive
that day.
This weekend is also special to
Bryan Ehnstrom, who will be running
his
I've always wanted to run a marathon
since I was like twelve or thirteen
years old.
It was something I always had an
excuse for cause the training is
hard.
Bryan's running to
His
when he was in his mother's womb.
They were expecting that he would be
paralyzed from the waist down.
The fetal surgery actually
worked so well that
he's got full movement in his legs,
full, full sensation and we feel
like with proper physical therapy,
we might be able to have him walk
one day.
I saw everything that he went
through and my wife went through for
the surgery.
I just said to myself, I got to do
something that I said I was gonna do
all this time.
Training for the marathon has
It's made me stronger mentally, and
I feel like I could face challenges
like this. And
then I see him born and he's a
pretty normal kid and smiling all
the time. I'm like, you know, if he
can do it, I can do it.
I can run 26.2.
And whether they run 100 miles a
week or just completing their first
marathon.
Roberta and Bryan
Knowing that I'm up every morning,
I'm working, I'm running hard, I'm
constantly doing something to
meet my goals.
They're very excited and they can
see that, you know, I've achieved
something for myself personally from
this.
He's not aware that I'm doing this
for him yet. But I have a 4-year-old
son, Austin.
I can see that every time I go
running, he wants to join in and
he wants to know about it and
everything. So I feel like I'm
inspiring him.
And that makes me happy, too.
We'll certainly be cheering for
Michael, Roberta and Bryan
this weekend.
So that is it for this week's show.
Thanks to Nivea for partnering with
us this month on Good Start
to bring you inspiring stories
that prove that soft can be
powerful.
Rethink soft with the Nivea.
Be sure to like our page and follow
us for more positive stories that
will make your day.
Thanks so much for joining us and
we'll see you back here next week
for another Good Start.