An adaptive athlete from Belarus ran for faith, hope, and love in the C. Clyde Run 5K on Saturday. It was in first receiving those things however, that now has her sharing them with others
Tanya Khvitsko met C. Clyde Jones, the first dean of the Kansas State College of Business, when she was 5 years old.
The two met through Project Restoration, and organization that provides physical, emotional, and spiritual assistance in the Republic of Belarus – the country most affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
As a result of the nuclear event, Tanya was born with deformed fingers and missing both of her legs.
Representatives from Project Restoration visited Tanya’s boarding school in 1998 and decided to bring her to the U.S. to receive medical care and proper prosthesis.
Bringing her story full circle, the athlete says that after years of dreaming – she finally became a runner four years ago when she received her first pair of running blades.
The C. Clyde Run 5K is an annual event that benefits Shepherds Crossing, a local Manhattan non-profit.
Tanya says she is honored to have been asked to complete the run and hopes to inspire others to “move on” from tragedy and “enjoy life.”
