GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — A team for everybody and any body - that’s the mission of myTEAM TRIUMPH, a non-profit organization that organizes inclusive racing events for people of all abilities.
MyTEAM TRIUMPH Wisconsin is organized into 8 regions throughout the state and puts on about 50 events every year.
On race day, able-bodied runners or “angels” work together to push the “captains” across the finish line.
“The angels can totally take turns pushing or they can just be there for support," said executive director David Konshak. "We’re talking with the captains as we’re getting through, [it's a] total team atmosphere, we always say no angel left behind and it’s all about getting that captain across the finish line."
As of last year, the non-profit had over 500 captains. Captain Joey Christensen says after his first race back in 2013, he was hooked. He remembers the moment when he first walked across the finish line.
“We just talked as a team and I just smiled the whole time," Christensen said. "It was just one of those times that I never really wanted to stop."
Christensen says the team atmosphere made him feel included in a way he had never experienced before.
"Before I was introduced to MTT, it was just one of those things where you didn’t really feel included," Christensen said. "You did what you could as an individual with disabilities.”
For Dan Bushner, who has two twins on the autism spectrum, myTEAM TRIUMPH gave his family a community of support and a common goal to strive for.
"I know the joy of crossing the finish line, but to be able to give that to my sons was so amazing," Bushner said. "To be there when they crossed their first finish line was just so emotional to me, to be there and know that they accomplished that too.”
The connection between angels and captains both on and off the track has created lifelong friendships for many who so often feel isolated.
“Seeing how it blossoms from just a captain and angel relationship to an actual friendship, that is one of the biggest things I will always be thankful for,” Christensen said.
The donations from Give BIG Green Bay will help myTEAM TRIUMPH with maintenance for their specialized race equipment as well as registration for the angels and captains. To learn more about how your donations can support their mission, visit their page on givebiggreenbay.org.
