The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Obstacle race a welcome event for adaptive athletes
WALLINGFORD — Amputee Chris Scranton of West Haven was both emotional and ecstatic as he crossed the finish line at the fifth annual Gaylord Gauntlet 5K (3.1 miles) obastacle race on the campus of Gaylord Hospital.
The Gaylord Gauntlet 5K involves a combination of adaptive and able-bodied runners. The event tests their endurance on a course that combines wooded trail and open field running that includes a combination of 24 natural and man-made obstacles. Among the 24 obstacles are two buses runners have to run through and an upside down car they have to crawl through.
Scranton, with about 50 yards to go, pumped his fists high in the air and crossed the finish line sporting a wide grin as teammates, well-wishers and supporters surrounded him and patted him on the back.
“I did it and it went well,” said Scranton, who lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident in November 2016. He first competed in the event in 2017. “I was able to get through every obstacle but one. The big thing is me and my team improved our time from last year.
“The course is challenging but that’s why you do it. I had a lot of fun, so much fun. It feels great.”
The event is the brainchild of Gaylord Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen Holland.
“I ran in a 5K obstacle race in Massacusetts,” Holland said. “About half way through I said to myself why don’t we do this at Gaylord Hospital. We have the land (400 acres) to work with and create a 5K obstacle course right on our campus. I discussed it with our facilities supervisor (Tim Polaske). He was excited about it and here we are.”
The Gaylord Gauntlet 5K is a fundraiser to support the Gaylord Sports Association, which offers adaptive sports and recreational opportunities for persons with physical disabilities and visual impairments. It has grown
from 400 runners the first year to 1,000. Because it is an obstacle race, and due to delays that often occur as runners deal with the obstacles, last year it was decided moving forward the event would be capped at 1,000 participants.
The runners also start the race in waves of about 40-50 runners at a time to make it easier to get through the obstacles. The first wave started at 8 a.m. and the last one went off at 2 p.m. Runners also compete in uniquely named teams.
Kelly Lavoie, diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis, competes in a wheelchair and was competing for the second time. Her team’s name is Mud Puppies because everyone on her team of six owns dogs and one of the obstacles involves running
through mud.
“When you become disabled, people look at you and say you can’t do these kind of things,” said Lavoie, who resides in East Haven. “By doing an event like this, it shows the world just because I am disabled doesn’t mean I’m unable to do this or other things.
“It takes me a little longer to get through the course. Sometimes I can’t use the wheelchair and have to crawl to get through an obstacle. But I get through it. This is a great way to give back to Gaylord.”
A fixture each year at the event is Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson. He is known for playing his trumpet to kick off various road races in Wallingford and does the same at the Gaylord Gauntlet 5K.
“It’s always a thrill to see the human spirit energized by this event,” Dickinson
said.
Scranton, who said he gets support from family, friends and the West Haven community, plans on competing again in the Gaylord Gauntlet 5K in 2019.
“This is a chance to show support for Gaylord Hospital and its work of angels done here,” Scranton said. His team’s name is Look Twice, Save a Life in support of automobile driver safety. “I did my rehabilitation here and being a part of this race is a way to give back.”
Scranton, who runs with a prosthetic leg, has a goal to get insurance companies to categorize prosthetics as a necessity instead of a utility.
Awards are given to the top male and female finisher, the top team finisher and various age categories. Results were unavailable at press time. For complete results go to GaylordGauntlet.org.