15-Year-Old With Cerebral Palsy Finishes TC Half Marathon
ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- Thousands of runners can say they finished the annual Twin Cities race, but only a handful can claim they beat the odds doing it. Matthew Taylor, 15, is one of those runners.
Matthew was born with Cerebral Palsy, a common "motor disability." When he was a baby, doctors told his parents heartbreaking news about his future.
"He was not supposed to walk," said Matthew's mom, Kim Sakin-Taylor.
Kim was amazed when he took his first steps, but there were difficult times ahead. Matthew's muscles became spastic and tight, and walking became hard.
So, two years ago, doctors implanted a medical-pump that automatically delivers medicine to relieve his spasms.
Within a couple months, Taylor's speech and mobility improved, and he completed his first 5K run.
"Just how far he's come. From losing the ability to walk, to regaining that, to starting running, to training, and he's doing half-marathons," said Kim.
Matthew runs on his high school's cross-country and track teams. He even inspired NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who invited him to join him at practice.
Now, Matthew is a part of two dozen special athletes, called "Medtronic Global Heroes."
"I can't be any more proud of how far he's come," said Kim.
He ran the 10-mile race in "an hour, 44 minutes and 19 seconds" Sunday.
"That was a good race, and I had a lot of fun this weekend," said Matthew.
Finishing this race is by no means the end of Matthew's running career. He says he will one day run a full marathon.
