EFFINGHAM, Ill. — Cheerleaders from families and the cheer team from Windsor-Sterwardson-Strasburg High Schools greeted smiling athletes as they crossed the finish line in victory. There are no first, second or third place winners at this event – everyone was a winner simply by finishing the race.
The fifth annual “Meet Me at the Finish Line” Youth Adaptive Try-Athlon was held Sept. 12 at the Workman Sports Complex in Effingham, hosted by HSHS St. Anthony’s Physical Rehabilitation and Wellness. This inspirational event promoted fitness and self-confidence for athletes 18 and under with mobility deficits or children who are not afforded the opportunity to participate in community events due to physical, social or emotional barriers.
Over 40 athletes with buddies by their side participated in swimming, biking and walking/running events. The smiles on their faces spread joy to their families and friends who were cheering them on every splash, pedal and step of the way.
Physical Therapist Alex Kastl, DPT, PT, coordinates the event each year and shared, “This is such a special event that gives children and young adults, who often struggle with any type of functional mobility, the chance to participate in an event that some of us would take for granted. They challenged and pushed themselves to their fullest potential as they swam, biked and walked/ran through the event,” he said. “The look of joy on the kids’ faces as they crossed the finish line and received their medal is hard to beat.”
Special thanks for the HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and Rehabilitation and Wellness team, Richard E. Workman Sports and Wellness Complex, and the Sullivan, Illinois AMBUCS Chapter for their help making this a successful event for the athletes and their families.
New this year was a “touch the truck” portion, where kids could check out emergency and large vehicles brought to the event by local EMS, police and fire providers and large equipment operators. HSHS St. Anthony’s Rehab and Wellness expresses their thanks to Effingham Police Department, Effingham Fire Department, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois Air Methods, Beck’s Hybrids and New Heights Crane Service.
For more information and to register an athlete, visit stanthonyshospital.org/try-athlon.
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About HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital
HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham, celebrating 150 years of serving the Effingham community, is part of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a nonprofit Catholic health care ministry founded in 1875. Dedicated to our Mission to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through high-quality Franciscan health care, HSHS clinicians provide exceptional care centered on the whole person. Based in Springfield, Illinois, HSHS employs nearly 11,000 colleagues who provide care in 13 acute-care, children’s and critical-access hospitals and home health and hospice programs in Central and Southern Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin. HSHS is aligned with more than 1,000 primary and specialty physicians and advanced practitioners through its owned affiliates HSHS Medical Group and Prairie Cardiovascular and its partnership with Prevea Health. For more information about HSHS, visit hshs.org.