WXII did a local story on her in late 2012 when Montgomery was a Junior. In the video we see Montgomery not only persevere through incredible challenges most of us can’t even fathom, but we also hear the incredible goals set for herself.
The story speaks for itself, but watching her push herself to the limit as she crosses the finish line, into what her coaches call the ‘catch Kayla committee,‘ brought me to tears.
So why is Kayla just now getting national attention? Although she was one of the slowest runners on her cross country team when she first started (running +24:00 5Ks), Kayla won a North Carolina state championship recently. Of course, in comes the New York Times, who explains Kayla’s condition in further detail and why her story is so special:
Because M.S. blocks nerve signals from Montgomery’s legs to her brain, particularly as her body temperature increases, she can move at steady speeds that cause other runners pain she cannot sense, creating the peculiar circumstance in which the symptoms of a disease might confer an athletic advantage.
But intense exercise can also trigger weakness and instability; as Montgomery goes numb in races, she can continue moving forward as if on autopilot, but any disruption, like stopping, makes her lose control…
…“When I finish, it feels like there’s nothing underneath me,” Montgomery said. “I start out feeling normal and then my legs gradually go numb. I’ve trained myself to think about other things while I race, to get through. But when I break the motion, I can’t control them and I fall.”
Last month, Montgomery, a senior at Mount Tabor High School, won the North Carolina state title in the 3,200 meters. Her time of 10 minutes 43 seconds ranks her 21st in the country. Her next major competition is the 5,000 meters at the national indoor track championships in New York on March 14, when she hopes to break 17 minutes.
Although Montgomery got phone calls from many universities, she got the impression some might have been skeptical due to her condition. Lipscomb University wasn’t. She’ll start there next fall on a scholarship.
Kayla, I want to thank you for being an inspiration for not only those who are battling the awful disease of M.S., but for anyone who thinks they cannot achieve greatness. It may sound silly that an 18-year-old can inspire a 29-year-old in Bakersfield, California, but as I prepare to take on my first marathon in L.A. this Sunday, part of me will be running for you.
You can see the clip featuring Kayla on The Today Show which aired Wednesday here:
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him @JHelmuth or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
