Local 9-Year-Old Prepares For Marathon In Antarctica
By Pat Loeb
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – A nine-year-old from West Chester is preparing to run a marathon in Antarctica in February as a way to raise money for a family charity.
Tara Toocheck is proud that her 4th grade son is running 26 miles, in the coldest place on the planet, to raise money for her father's charity, a project to provide coats to keep children warm.
"He loves to be able to help people doing something that he loves so much," says Tara.
But the International Marathon Medical Directors would advise against it.
New Jersey pediatric sports doctor Steve Rice says the group recommends no one under 18 run the physically and mentally taxing distance.
"That pounding and pounding and pounding, you run the risk of damage to body parts. It just seems like it's not necessary to be asking a young person to do that. I mean, we have child labor laws; we try to limit what children do because we realize their just children," says Dr. Rice.
He recommends shorter distances for most kids who want a challenge.
