Damian Saunders doesn’t say much, but the 15-year-old knew exactly what he wanted to Sunday at the A2A.
At the 11-mile marker of the Arbuckle to Ardmore Race for Mercy marathon, the Sulphur resident stricken since birth with cerebral palsy and microcephaly, a birth disorder that causes brain shrinkage, made sure his mother heard his wishes.
Most of Damian’s communication is non-verbal but he had to let his mother know: This was the ride of a lifetime and it had to continue.
“He kept saying ‘I gotta go, Mom. I gotta go,” Damian’s mother, Leilani, said. “He defintely told us he was ready.”
Saunders celebrated his 15th birthday in style, completing the 26.2-mile course through the Arbuckle Mountains thanks to the selfless efforts of The Landrunners running club of Oklahoma City and their “Oh, What a Ride!” program.
The Landrunners provided the wheels for Saunders to complete his first marathon, with assistance from team members Kevin Lynes and James Drain. The Landrunners used the special three-wheeled chair for only the third time, the first time in a full marathon. Other races The Landrunners have assisted in include a half-marathon in Tulsa and a 5K in El Reno.
Their mission? To provide those, like Damian, who otherwise couldn’t run the race themselves a unique chance to be a part of it. Drain, in his first year with The Landrunners, spoke about how pushing Damian the length of the race was an experience he won’t soon forget.
“It pretty much gives a whole new meaning to the sport,” said Drain, whose family hails from Springer. “The brotherhood that goes along with it, with Kevin here, it’s been a pretty memorable experience. It’ll definitely be the one that sticks out most in my mind.”
After a stop for water at the 11-mile marker, the group of Lynes, Drain and Damian picked up at the 16-mile mark. Leilani rode in a car in front of Damian for most of the race.
“It’s really nice to have someone who cares about people who don’t have a lot of opportunities,” Leilani said. “Damian never would have had this without them.
“My thing with Damian is for him to have every opportunity in life that he can have. This was awesome because not everybody gets to do this.”
As some of the final marathoners to cross the finish line, Damian and The Landrunners were greeted with cheers and applause from the A2A volunteers and crowd. The group made the final turn onto the straightaway at Noble Stadium, and voices in the crowd alerted others that Damian was coming to the finish line.
Even in a race that some called the toughest marathon they’ve ever faced, Damian and The Landrunners finished in under six hours.
“This wasn’t about time,” Lynes said. “It’s about giving kids the thrill of a lifetime.”