Blazing the way for others like him

Times Reporter

 

If anyone had told the Thomas family their son would one day be running and training to make it into the Paralympics, they may not have believed them 

The saying goes, it takes a community to raise a child, a strong community that will help foster the child to grow and learn. Andrew Thomas wouldn’t quite be considered a child, but the concept remains true. The support from his family, friends, therapists and mentor Cory Johnson have helped Thomas go from being diagnosed with severe autism to someone who is considered high functioning autistic. 

“Last February Lynn (Thomas) contacted me about the possibility of taking Andrew on as a work experience student for my speaking business. So I started working with Andrew a few days a week and Andrew started learning more about what I do and the fact that I was doing all this running,” said Johnson.

“Fast forward a few months and Andrew, I believe, bought a pair of shoes one day and said ‘these shoes are made for marathons’.” 

Paul and Lynn Thomas, Andrew’s parents started thinking about the possibility of Andrew running. At first they were exploring two different avenues – one was with the Special Olympics and the other with the Paralympics. In the end they opted for the Paralympics as the Special Olympics is more for people with developmental disabilities and Andrew’s is an intellectual disability.

“I come from the philosophy that in order to push ourselves we need to be able to compare ourselves to all kinds of different abilities and ranges of abilities,” said Johnson. 

The Special Olympic philosophy is to keep it at a level where everyone competing has an equal opportunity to win. For the Paralympics it is more of a challenge, you have to be one of the best to win. 

“We want Andrew to challenge himself, and for Andrew to challenge himself we want him to compete with everybody,” said Paul.

“I’ve seen Andrew work harder at running then I ever have anything, and working so hard is so rewarding for him.”

On a normal Tuesday or Thursday Andrew gets up, jumps on the bus for school. After a half day at school he is off to Sobeys to work at 11:30 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. Then Johnson picks him up and they head into the city to run at either the Glenmore Athletic Park or the Foothills Athletic Park. He doesn’t get home until late in the evening around 8 p.m., then pretty much heads straight to bed. 

“The whole thing we’re trying to achieve here is to get Andrew…we’re trying to make it so that Andrew is category with other people around the world called Teir 20 which is for people with intellectual disabilities, so that he can compete at a level as high as he wants to go, and maybe his ultimate goal could be going to the Paralympics,” said Johnson.

“That’s is definitely something that he talks about, that’s what keeps him moving, that’s what keeps him going because that’s what he wants,” said Lynn. 

“Andrew by doing this he’s going to teach a lot of people about autism, overcoming barriers and being the best you can be,” said Johnson.

“In a way Andrew is a trail blazer and it’s going to allow somebody who is in his situation one day to be able to see the possibilities.”