Our Marathon Runner - Malik Jabbaar
Malik Hope & Possibility Kids Fun Run 2012
Our Marathon Runner - Malik Jabbaar By
Yamira
Siu,
New York,
NY
Meet Malik Jabbaar, the youngest out of four children and the youngest marathon runner with Achilles Kids, who happens to have Down syndrome. Our Prince Malik (as we like to call him), is a high-functioning, vibrant, lovable, smart and energetic nine-year-old boy who loves to run, and as you can imagine living in New York City we had to find a place where he could release all of that energy. Thank God for Achilles Kids, an organization which welcomes all children with disabilities and gives them the opportunity to exercise regularly and compete with other runners, helping them become stronger and healthier. Since joining Achilles Kids in 2012, Malik has made friends with children of all ages and disabilities - not noticing any of their disabilities, but only their love for running. The entire staff and volunteers that dedicate their time and energy to assist all the children in their weekly activity which includes relay racing, exercising and running is priceless. Malik trained and completed his first ever five-mile run last June in the Hope & Possibility Kids Fun Run in NYC along with his volunteer buddy, Chris and his supportive sisters Meiling and Maya. How cool is that? Earlier in January 2013, Achilles Kids selected Malik to participate in Disney’s 5K Family Run in Orlando, FL which was sponsored by Cigna. We were so grateful to Achilles Kids for considering him, even though he was the youngest participant out of the group known as the Fab Five. The excitement on our son’s face was priceless and he understood that he was running at Epcot Center representing Achilles Kids along with receiving his prize medal at the end of the race. What a thrill to see him cross the finish line after one hour and forty-four minutes and to hear him say, “Mommy are you proud of me?” As you can imagine, tears flowed down our faces and of course we were definitely proud of our Prince Malik. Now as the 2013 year begins, he will participate again at the annual NYC Buddy Walk® and training has already begun for the next Hope & Possibility Kids Fun Run. Malik is just as excited as he was on his first run. Get Ready, Get Set, Go Malik!