Most marathoners take 35,000 steps to reach the finish line. John Young needs 80,000.
The high school math teacher from Canada is part of a rare and spirited breed of athlete: those who鈥檝e overcome the daunting challenges of dwarfism to conquer the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometre) distance.
Many endure not just the usual rigours of training but cruel taunts from onlookers 鈥� 鈥淗ey, check out the midget鈥� 鈥� as they put in their miles.
But Young, who lightheartedly refers to himself as an LP (鈥渓ittle person鈥�), has become an inspiration to others with dwarfism 鈥� and his accomplishments have won him respect and admiration around the globe.
鈥淎 lot of people in my life, especially when I was younger, said, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 do that 鈥� you鈥檙e too small. You can鈥檛 do that 鈥� you鈥檙e too short. You might get hurt,鈥欌�� Young, 52, said at his home in Salem, famed for its 1690s witch trials.
鈥淚 heard that a lot and I used to listen,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow I don鈥檛 listen.鈥�
Young is a member of an elite club: Only four athletes with dwarfism are known to have completed marathons, and he鈥檚 finished the most 鈥� 10 鈥� including four Boston Marathons and three New York City Marathons. He鈥檚 also competed in 50 triathlons 鈥� including Ironman Maryland 鈥� and his latest goal, starting with Boston on April 16, is to run 12 marathons in 12 months.
He stands only 4 feet 4 inches, but he鈥檚 the biggest little person Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray knows.
鈥淗e鈥檚 an example of somebody who鈥檚 overcome his own physical challenges and inspired thousands of people to live their dreams,鈥� McGillivray said. 鈥淗e trains and competes just like every other athlete. He says, 鈥業 am who I am. I鈥檓 going to succeed at my level and I鈥檓 going to feel good about myself.鈥欌��
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That wasn鈥檛 always the case for Young.
Born in Toronto with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, he grew up in foster care. 鈥淧eople asked, 鈥楢re you going to be in the circus? Are you going to be a midget wrestler? Are you going to be an entertainer?鈥� And I was like, 鈥淣o, I like school. I like math. I want to go to college,鈥欌�� he said.
Young, who graduated as valedictorian, swam and played street and pond hockey. But he never ran 鈥� doctors worried the pounding would cause back problems.
鈥淭hey always said, 鈥楧on鈥檛 run, don鈥檛 run, it鈥檚 not a good idea, stay away from it,鈥欌�� he said.
Over the years, Young鈥檚 weight ballooned to nearly 200 pounds (90 kilos) 鈥� dangerously obese for his height 鈥� and he developed sleep apnea. To shed pounds, he returned to the pool and took up cycling. He entered a triathlon but skipped the run portion, still worried it might cripple him.
Finally, he caved, and he couldn鈥檛 believe what he鈥檇 been missing.
鈥淲hat I found was the more I ran, the less my back actually hurt,鈥� said Young, whose light running style enables him to recover remarkably quickly.
Colleagues noticed other benefits.
鈥淲hen I first met John, he was falling asleep at his desk,鈥� said Eric Olson, who teaches math with Young at the Pingree School , a private academy in nearby Hamilton. 鈥淭oday he鈥檚 such a productive guy. He oxygenates his brain. He really is an elite athlete 鈥� he takes what he does super seriously.鈥�
Former student Veronica Monteiro, 23, says Young inspired her to run her first Boston Marathon. 鈥淚 look up to him so much,鈥� she said, giggling at her phrasing.
Young appreciates the humour. (He鈥檚 been known to slip a subtle 鈥淪now White鈥� reference into a conversation: 鈥淚鈥檓 a little sleepy today. I鈥檓 also a little sneezy.鈥�) But he鈥檚 not amused by others鈥� heckling or snickering 鈥� especially if it鈥檚 aimed at his wife, Sue Casey, or 15-year-old son, Owen, who also have dwarfism.
His pet peeve: when strangers run past in a race and say, 鈥淭hanks for being out here.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hank you, too,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 know what they鈥檙e trying to say. But I鈥檓 not out there for them. If I motivate you because of some part of my story, that鈥檚 great. But if all you鈥檙e looking at is the physical fact that I鈥檓 a little person and I鈥檓 running, that鈥檚 the wrong message.鈥�
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Young鈥檚 no speedster. He averages 13 minutes per mile (8 minutes per kilometre), and in marathons, he usually walks a minute for every nine minutes he runs. His personal best is 5 hours 50 minutes.
But that鈥檚 plenty fast enough to inspire.
His son now runs track and cross-country, breaking his old man鈥檚 5K times. Little People of America , a non-profit group, hails him as a hero. And Young gets emails from the parents of children with dwarfism thanking him for being a role model.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the part I treasure,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how long I can keep doing it, but I don鈥檛 have an end date in mind. I鈥檓 going to keep going as long as I can.鈥�
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William J. Kole, The Associated Press
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