Kevin Hircock – Team RunFree
This month, we were honored to meet with Kevin Hircock, founder of Team RunFree, a nonprofit organization in Adel that shares the joy of adaptive running, one race at a time.
Kevin Hircock – Team RunFree
Kevin started Team RunFree in 2016. “Running is a great activity. When shared with others, its even better, when shared with those who cannot run on their own- well, that’s where the magic happens.” ~KH
“I started running about 8 years ago, with my daughter and family. I had a lot of running adventures and eventually, you start wondering what else you can do with it. After I got into running, I started watching movies and videos and I learned about Dick and Rick Hoyt, a father and son team that do races. “
Team RunFree at the Adel Sweet Corn Festival 2018
Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father and son team from Holland, Massachusetts. At birth, Rick as diagnosed a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. in the spring of 1977, Rick told his Dad that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident.
Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheel chair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. Since then, the team has developed adaptive carts and inclusive athletic gear that has allowed Rick and Dick to complete more than 1,00 marathons, biathlons, and triathlons, 6 ironman competitions, and 3,735 miles bikes and ran across the US in 45 days. www.hoytrunningchairs.com.
Pre-race Laughs
“I was looking for a way to give back. I thought, I want to do that. A couple years later I’d had enough of my own adventures and felt I had grown up as an athlete and it started to sound like a good idea.
I learned there’s not a lot of this being done, and my motives were pure, from there it took off.” ~KH
Captains are the reason Team RunFree exists.
They are individuals who have special needs and are physically unable to run.
Captains ride in special adaptive run carts as our Navigators race with them in 5K, 10K, half and full marathons. This allows them to have a fully immersive running experience.
Not another walk in the park- runners keep pace as they race their Captains across the finish line.
Captains have diverse disabilities and variable levels of communication. Parents recognize when their children enjoy the race, often by relaxing tense muscles as soon as they are placed in the adaptive cart.
“I once asked one of parents, ‘how do we know we’re giving her anything she enjoys?’ ‘See what she just did?, the mom said. ‘She signed more. She’s saying I want to do that again!”
This powerful image is a favorite for the parents who see these abandoned wheel chairs left in the dust as their children experience freedom from their disabilities.
“A captain said one time, ‘I’m always in my wheelchair, even when I’m doing fun things.’ and her hands were clenched. ‘But when I get with you guys and run,’ and her hands opened up, ‘I feel like I’m free. Even though my legs aren’t moving, it feels like I’m running and I don’t have cerebral palsy.”
Kevin calls the Navigators “The Heart Behind the Cart”
A Team RunFree Navigator is the ‘engine’ of each race team. Navigators must be more than just runners. We look for those who have a true passion to share fun times and ‘miles of smiles’ with their Captain.
The race may end at the finish line, but the relationships and memories continue.
Team RunFree Captains range in age from 4-adult. “Captains and their families are referring Captains to the program. We can’t get a bigger endorsement than that.” ~KH
Team RunFree is a 501c3 non-profit, with donations used to pay race entry fees, tee shirts, navigator background checks, and adaptive cart purchases.“We have 5 blue carts which are basically an oversized running stroller with a 200lb weight capacity. We currently have two of the larger, longer red custom carts. Those are better for taller Captains and longer races.”
Navigator Abby’s, hard work and practice paid off when she surprised the team by exiting the adaptive cart and walking 75 yards across the finish line.
Navigators and Captains join assisted mobility athletes for a 5 minute head start at the starting line.
Team RunFree is funded 100% by donations and your gift of any amount is greatly appreciated.
Donations are accepted online, or you can give with every online purchase through Amazon Smiles which let’s you elect to donate with each purchase.
In addition, as the group grows, there will be a need for volunteers who can help work with Captains, Navigators, races and communication.
“The biggest thing we provide is inclusion and fun. That’s very important to us. To include them in an experience, to get them off the side lines into an environment that they can be in on their own.”
Team RunFree
Website: TeamRunFree.org
Facebook: TeamRunFree
Adel, IA 50003
