Kayla Montgomery

Kayla Montgomery runs to the finish line to help her team gain yet another victory. At first this runner looks like any other, but she is much different. When Kayla reaches the end of her race her coach will have to catch her for she has lost all feeling in her legs and won't be able to hold herself up. Kayla Montgomery is a cross country runner at Lipscomb and the story of what got her into running is one like no other. When Kayla was a freshman in high school she was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis). MS is a disease that eats at the nerve endings in muscles and in severe cases can lead to paralysis. This diagnosis crushed Kayla and sent her into a mess of emotions. Kayla began running as an outlet for all of her feelings and, after a lot of practice, began to see success. Kayla Montgomery is a great hero and role model because she overcomes her struggles,makes difficult accomplishments, and never lets her disability stop her.

As a young runner with MS, Kayla has had to face things that other girls her age couldn't even imagine. After Kayla was diagnosed she went into a bad place mentally. Kayla felt as though this diagnosis meant that she was ruined for the rest of her life. Kayla eventually discovered running helped her to cope with the struggle of dealing with her disability and began to use it as an outlet for her feelings(This is My Calling: Kayla Montgomery). Now that she has discovered what effects it has "running is her salvation" (Marley and Cohen). When Kayla runs she loses all feeling in her legs, although this may sound like something beneficial it is actually quite difficult to deal with in distance running. Since Kayla can't feel her legs she can't pace herself using them. Kayla has had to be very innovative with overcoming this, and with much practice she has discovered that she can pace herself using her arms. Running like this is a difficult task and is not something any coach will be able to teach. After lots of hard work Kayla perfected her technique and began to run varsity.

competitor.com (Unknown )

Over the course of Kayla's running career she has made several great accomplishments. During her freshman and sophomore years of high school she barely ever made varsity on her team but her junior and senior years she improved a lot and made it to the top varsity spot on her team. Kayla has had several victories as a runner, one of them is her state victory in the 3200m outdoor track her senior year. When Kayla was a junior colleges started to take lots of interest in her but most revoked any offer when they learned about her MS. Lipscomb was one of the few colleges that were willing to look past Kayla's disease and give her a chance. Kayla ran at Lipscomb her freshman year and was a varsity runner the entire season. Kayla went on to help the team win a conference championship this same year. According to John A. Kissane "When Montgomery arrived in Nashville she quickly bonded with team members, who recognized the diminutive freshman's special qualities that aid her struggle with MS." Over this last summer Kayla received the Pathfinder Award as a recognition of her great spirit and running accomplishments.

MS is a very difficult disease to live with but Kayla never lets this stop her. Kayla knows that this disease limits her but she never uses it as an excuse to give up or slow down. Kayla knows that there is always a possibility that when she is running it may be the last time she gets to, so she gives every run 100% (Polacheck). Kayla has proven to everyone that her diagnosis is not something that can stop her from achieving great things. MS limits Kayla from doing certain workouts but she makes adjustments and does what she can. Kayla has loads of dedication and this is how she has prevailed and shown that her disability does not define her and she can amount to much more than the limitations put on her life.

Kayla is a great hero and she shows great strength and perseverance. MS isn't something many teens are diagnosed with but Kayla has made the best of the situation she was handed. If it weren't for her disability Kayla may never have discovered her ability to run and would never of made the accomplishments she has. Kayla has overcome many difficulties and because of this developed an amazing character. Kayla is a good example that you can do whatever you set our mind to and nothing is too big to overcome. Kayla's accomplishments are great ones and they show just how strong and dedicated to running she is. The characteristics Kayla has are ones we should all strive for and that is what makes her such a great hero.