The runner, the coach and the disease - A story of genuine grit that brought me to tears
This amazing story from ESPN's E:60 is one of the best things I have ever seen, it literally brought me to tears!
Not only is the story genuinely inspiring there are also some messages in here for talent developers that are worthy of mention.
Another example of how an athlete overcoming adversity and the traumatic experience of being diagnosed with a life changing and debilitating disease acts as a driver to help her improve.
Adapting to the constraint of the loss of sensation in her legs but exploring the things that this also affords..."I can't feel my legs so that means that I struggle to pace myself but it also mens that I can't feel the pain".
The way Kayla describes her relationship with her coach "He's like a father..." tells us a lot about how great talent coaches connect with their athletes.
Kayla's mother says "he pushes her, just enough" which suggests to me that Kayla's parents clearly understand what the coach is trying to do which shows how much they are engaged in the process.
The way her coach talks to her: He says things like "that was beautiful, kiddo". He shows genuine affection and empathy with her.
I would be interested to hear what anyone else took away from this.