In last Friday’s (10/28) Erie Times-News (Pennsylvania), Karen Beardsley writes, “Most of us, if given the option, would swap, or alter, at least one body part to be better, stronger, faster. That’s what two major orthopedic surgeries did for 14-year-old Allie Rivera, who had one of the worst cases of in-toeing gait, commonly known as being pigeon-toed, that medical experts had ever seen. In September, Allie and her mom, Kathy, participated in the Erie Philharmonic’s Beat Beethoven 5K after completing Highmark’s Running 101, a 10-week physical activity program that helps beginning runners train for and complete their first 5K. Beat Beethoven started with the downbeat of Conductor Daniel Meyer’s baton in front of the Warner Theatre, where racers followed a downtown course to the accompaniment of Beethoven’s ‘Fifth Symphony,’ a 30-minute, 17-second composition. While Allie and Kathy were among the last participants to cross the finish line, the accomplishment was significant because, two years ago, Allie could barely run without tripping over her own feet. … She beat Beethoven and talks about a career in the medical field but, for now, she’s an eighth grader who is happy to be … running again.”
Posted November 7, 2012
