Episode 19: Andrew Peterson - No Limits Andrew

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Aug 11

Andrew Peterson was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and found alone as a newborn. Today he has run 20 marathons, qualified for Boston and won Special Olympics gold for Team USA.

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About this episode

I first met Andrew Peterson at the Indy Mini, when he flew past me on the Speedway cheering "everyone's killing it" while I could barely breathe. I posted the clip, the Indianapolis running community said "that's Andrew," and I tracked down his dad, Craig. Andrew was found alone shortly after birth, has brain damage from fetal alcohol syndrome, and was adopted out of foster care by Craig along with his three siblings.

Andrew and Craig join me at the Carmel Library to talk about how running started with laps around the second grade playground, his Special Olympics medals in Seattle and Abu Dhabi, qualifying for and running Boston, and 150 miles in three days during the pandemic. We also talk about his years of motivational speaking, his role as a 500 Festival ambassador, and becoming a head cross country coach.

In this episode, we discuss

How I first met Andrew while he cheered on runners at the Indy Mini
Being found alone after birth and living with fetal alcohol syndrome
Walking, then running, laps at recess in second grade
Representing Team USA at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi
Running the 1500 meters in 4:42 at the 2018 USA Games in Seattle
20 marathons, more than 20 half marathons, and why medals do not matter much to him
Collapsing yards from the finish at the Carmel Marathon and missing a Boston qualifier by 44 seconds
Qualifying for Boston at the Monumental and finding Boston too crowded
Training five Special Olympics athletes to finish the Indy Mini
Craig adopting a sibling group of four children with special needs
Running 150 miles in three days to promote the 500 Festival and raise money for Gleaners Food Bank
November Project workouts, including the Rocky steps in Philadelphia
How running groups can welcome runners with disabilities
Ten years of motivational speaking to more than 100 Indiana high schools
Becoming the first head coach with a disability in IHSAA history

Chapters

00:00 · Intro
02:00 · Meeting Andrew at the Indy Mini
05:00 · Andrew's story and fetal alcohol syndrome
08:00 · How running started
09:00 · Special Olympics gold medals
14:00 · Favorite races and the Carmel Marathon collapse
18:00 · Running Boston
19:00 · Coaching Special Olympics athletes for the Mini
22:00 · Middle school cross country
25:00 · Adopting a sibling group of four
30:00 · 150 miles in three days
34:00 · 500 Festival ambassador
37:00 · Welcoming every kind of runner
41:00 · Motivational speaking
49:00 · The people and the No Limits name
53:00 · Head cross country coach and what's next

Where to find Andrew

Instagram: No Limits Andrew

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Indy Mini-Marathon, CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Carmel Marathon, Boston Marathon, Montana Marathon, Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon, Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, Special Olympics USA Games, 500 Festival Rookie Run, 500 Festival Mini-Mini
Organizations and charities: Special Olympics, 500 Festival, Gleaners Food Bank, November Project, Indy Runners, Law Enforcement Torch Run, IHSAA, Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School, WTHR
Other: Without Limits (Steve Prefontaine film), Jesse Davis, Lyn St. James, Ray-Ban Stories

Related episodes

Frequently asked

Who is No Limits Andrew?

No Limits Andrew is Andrew Peterson, an Indianapolis runner with fetal alcohol syndrome who has run 20 marathons, qualified for the Boston Marathon and won gold medals for Team USA at the Special Olympics.

What Special Olympics medals has Andrew Peterson won?

Andrew Peterson won a gold and a silver for the United States at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi and added a gold and two silvers at the 2018 USA Games in Seattle, where he ran the 1500 meters in 4:42.

Did Andrew Peterson run 150 miles in three days?

Yes. During the pandemic Andrew Peterson ran 150 miles in three days around Indianapolis to promote the 500 Festival and raise money for Gleaners Food Bank, finishing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track.

Who is the first head coach with a disability in IHSAA history?

Andrew Peterson became the first head coach in any sport with a disability in Indiana high school athletics history when he took over cross country at the school where he once was a team of one.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically, so it may contain errors.

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones with Ally Brettnacher incredible stories and tales of triumphs with everyday people achieving their goals in fitness. This podcast brought to you by Athlete Bouquets. Celebrate finish lines and milestones of the people that you love by visiting athlete bouquets.com.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 19 of Finish Lines and Milestones. This is Ally Brettnacher. And this week I sent my baby to kindergarten. Our Sweet Sydney turned six on July 31st, and then went to kindergarten this last Monday on the seventh, uh, Carmel Clay Schools in Indiana started school already.

It just feels like. Summer was the blink of an eye, but not just summer, like what is life? My, my daughter is six and she just got on a bus, so I have been thinking a lot about, a lot about that this week. And, you know, I, I really wasn't sad or emotional. It was tough the night before. She was very nervous and we talked through that.

What are you nervous about? You know, she was nervous about getting lost in the big school and so I told her, you know, the older kids get 'em off the bus and take 'em to their class. She doesn't need to worry about that. It just really, it was, it made my heart hurt knowing she how nervous she was and, but the next morning she got rid of those nerves and.

It was excitement. She got on the bus without even looking back. And then the next day at least got a wave, you know? But yeah, it's wild. So, you know, having my kid growing up, going to these ama, this amazing public school has me extra appreciative, especially given this episode today, so, so I got to meet Andrew Peterson and his dad, Craig this week, and I actually met Andrew.

For the first time running the Indie Mini earlier this year in May. And I'm gonna try to play the audio for you so you can hear how I first met him. So here we go.

So good. Everybody's killing. You're crushing it, man. I'm looking good. Thank you so little Billy Jean there. Not sure if you could hear that, but there goes, Andrew. Everyone's killing it is what he said. Everyone's killing it like he's just. Turning to everyone saying you're killing it. And of course I'm like, breathe, thank you.

Can barely talk. And he's just bopping along like it's no thing. And what's funny is that I missed him the first time he passed me. He did pass me and then he must have stopped for water or something. We talked about that actually after we stopped recording this episode. 'cause Craig's like, what were you doing?

Where are you Pastor? Twice, you know. And so he must have gotten water or chatted with somebody and then he passed me again and I just happened to be recording on my sunglasses, which are RayBan RayBan stories. My husband got them as a Mother's Day gift for me a couple years ago, and I love wearing them for races because I can capture video, but I can also listen to them, um, their headphones as well, and sunglasses.

So anyway, I caught Andrew and I was so grateful because then I posted it on Instagram on my athlete bouquets Instagram. And he is known in our community. I posted it. People were like, yeah, yeah, that's Andrew. And so then I was connected with his dad through Instagram. Um, he is at No Limits, Andrew. And we decided we, we would have Andrew on the podcast and I'm so thrilled that him and his dad Craig came to meet me.

And I'm just so grateful. Again, kind of like how I started with my daughter being as fortunate as she is, right? She has no idea how good she has it because Andrew came into this world very differently and you know, has a lot of struggles. He was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and you'll hear him talk about that and how he loves running and how that's been a big.

Outlet for him, but not just for Andrew, also for his dad, Craig. And what I found was that I was equally inspired by Craig during this episode because he adopted four children out of foster care as a sibling, group four, and they all have special needs, and I just am in awe of him. And his support of Andrew is just also, also inspiring.

I am so excited to hear that Andrew is running the CNO Indianapolis monumental half October 28th this year I will be there as well. I'm trying to PR and so hopefully I get to see him again and hopefully he can cheer me on 'cause Lord knows that I will need it. But I hope everybody really enjoys this conversation with Andrew and Craig.

I am here with Andrew Peterson, also known as No Limits, Andrew. And we're at the Carmel Library. I've just met him for the first time. And so before I have you talk, Andrew, I'm gonna just give a little backstory, and I don't know if you know this, but I first met you during the Indie Mini because you passed me going so fast, cheering everybody else on, and I got it on video.

I don't know if you know that. And after the mini, I posted it and I said, does anybody know this guy? He was so friendly and happy and just saying, good job to everybody. And so many people said, oh, yeah, yeah, that's Andrew. Andrew is amazing and so long story short, I ended up tracking you down through your dad, Craig, and now we're here.

So we're gonna start out by just having you introduce yourself and tell a little bit of your background, and then I have a few other questions for you, and it's gonna be a good time, I promise. So thank you for being here. Does the headset feel funny? They're huge. Oh yeah.

So if you would, go ahead, introduce yourself. Hi, my name is Andrew Peterson. And then Andrew, where are you from? Indianapolis. And you are a runner? Yes. Would you mind telling people a little bit about how you came into this world Shortly after birth? I was found alone. I went to a foster home. Was later adopted. My birth mother drank alcohol during pregnancy, and since I have brain damage from fetal alcohol syndrome, nothing in life. Has ever been easy. My brain, it looks like wifi. Sometimes the signal is strong. Sometimes the signal is weak, but most of the time the signal. Is really, really slow. I struggle to understand.

And so when did running come into your life? I got a good story to tell you when I was in second grade. I played too rough with other kids at recess. I had to stand at the post almost every day. Then my father asked the teacher if I could walk laps around the playground. And then I started running labs.

Other kids joined me, but nobody could keep up. That is awesome. I ran my first three K race with my father at the age of eight. He said, Andrew, you better keep up. Can't slow down. And I did just that. Did he beat you? Not that You're not, not yet. It was coming. It was coming. Oh. So next let's talk about the Special Olympics.

You have three, not one three gold medals. Could you tell us about that experience? What it was like to represent the United States in the Special Olympics in 2019, I represented the United States at the Special Olympics World Games. In Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. On the world stage. In the desert.

Heath. In the desert, yeah. I brought home a silver in the gold medal for USA. That is so cool. At the. 2018 games in Seattle. I added another gold in two silvers. Running the 1500 meter in four minutes, 42 seconds. That's fast. Yeah. Yeah. So fast. So. You had four different USA games. Three, three USA, and then one world.

Mm-hmm. Championship. What was your favorite one out of those games? USA versus the worlds? Which one did you like the best? Probably the Princeton. And that was your first one? Yes. Yeah, that's a special experience the first time. And was your dad with you for all of them? Yes. That's pretty cool. Where do you keep your medals? Uh, don't tell me they're in a box. Do you have your metals hanging somewhere? Uh, it's kinda, uh. In our basement. They are. Okay. Well you have some in your room. Yeah. Just the ones you get so many. Yeah. Yeah. So, and just, just the medals he's got from USA games, he has like 12 and they're big metals and. And then the ones from roller games were even a little bit bigger.

And then, and how many marathons have you done? Uh, 20. And how many? Half marathons. Oh, 12. Oh wait, wait. 13, I think. I think we're up to 23. Okay. So that's so many medals. So you can't, I mean, so you have a couple in your room and then the rest are just do downstairs just in a, in a box somewhere. You have so many, the medals and all the other stuff has never meant that much.

It's kinda like, oh, it's a Yeah, that, that he enjoyed the race in the moment. Yeah. So that's the race is his favorite part. Would you, would you be okay sharing the mic with. With Andrew. I think it might be nice 'cause some of the stuff you're saying, I don't know that I can capture and I think it would be nice maybe to have, we can do that.

I don't know if you'll be able to hear 'cause we don't have any more headphones. But you'll I'll I can hear you well. That's the important part. Yeah.

So 20 marathons. Four Special Olympics. So there's three that were in the United States and one in Abu Dhabi, and then 23 half marathons. Now let's maybe talk about, I'm gonna ask about maybe the favorite races, and then I wanna know about running 150 miles in three days. So Andrew, what have been your favorite races out of all of those that you've done?

Um, I know that's a hard question. And Craig, do you run them as well? Usually if Andrew's running something out of town, I'm along the course trying to make sure he knows where he is going. Yeah, that's fair. But like when we run like the mini, he knows that course, like the back of his hand. Yeah. But we did run a marathon together.

I've, I've done one marathon. I thought I need to at least. Attempt that with all the efforts right. That Andrew made. So, so Andrew had ran the Montana marathon in 2018 and so we went back out in 2021 and I trained and then realized this takes a lot of time. Yeah. And when, when you're trying to get up to like 18, 19 miles Uhhuh, so you're ready for that 26 mile race that was like.

Three or four hours and just finding the time. It's, yeah, it's a commitment. Um, but that was a good experience we had together to do that. And I was just happy to finish. Um, but do you wanna say anything special about like, the mini monumental or karma because it didn't 'cause having pretty cool things happened at all.

Three of those. Yeah. What happened the, um, the second time you ran the Carmel Marathon? When I ran the Carmel Marathon for the second time, I missed the Boston qualifying time by 44 seconds. And what was amazing that day was he had started great. And he had this idea and he said, well, maybe if I skip all the water stops, I'll finish quicker.

Yeah. And he was coming down there at the end on Rangeline Road. Mm-hmm. And I'm going, oh my God, he's gonna be like under 2 55. And, and he started wobbling on the course and there was less than half a mile left. And. About 10 yards before the finish line, he collapsed and everybody's, oh, Andrew, get up.

Andrew, get up. And so he got up and finished and actually ran about 30 seconds faster than he had six months earlier for the monumental, when he qualified for Boston. Wow. So, so do we make sure we stop at those water stops? Yeah. Water is important. Yeah. I mean, it makes sense. You're like, well, if I don't have to stop, then I can shave off a lot of time.

Right? Yeah. Sometimes those water stops get a little crowded. Yeah. Traffic. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I, I did that once during the, um, some hef marathon and lived to regret that. Yeah. Yeah. I've, I've done the same. Do you remember collapsing? Uh, a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. That's scary. That's scary for everybody. And watching too, it's like, oh yeah, when, I think it was this last year, there was a woman who was trying to qualify for the Olympics and she was in that final stretch at Carmel, and she fell.

And we were all like, oh my gosh, she's not gonna, is she gonna get her time? But she had so much time that she did, she got up and finished. But that's, man, that's crazy. And kudos to you for getting up and making it the rest of the way. Pretty close, but wow. What about, you've run Boston? Yes. What did you think of Boston?

Uh. It's kind of crowded. Yeah. We weren't quite ready for the pack. 'cause normally at these races there's a pack for maybe the first half mile. Mm-hmm And it starts to spread out. It didn't spread out until about mile 13. And that really freaked out Andrew. 'cause I saw him at about mile five. I should say I barely saw him because I couldn't find him in the back.

Yeah. 'cause there were so many people, so that, so Andrew said, I don't wanna do this again. Yeah. So it, it, it just wasn't a user friendly race mm-hmm. For him. Right. Well, and with the bus and all the waiting And were you able to be with him at all or did you have to go by yourself, Andrew, to the start of Boston?

He, um, the guy who ran with him at Monumental when he qualified also ran Boston. Okay. That makes, that's good. 'cause I feel like that would be even that much more overwhelming to try to navigate. I've run New York and it was nuts. Just so many people, so crowded, so many logistics. Because when you get that many people, you have all these people and they all can't start at the same time and we have to get to the start line.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And what's been special about the mini marathon For the past two mini marathon, I trained Special Olympics athletes and you got to see them finish and I. Got to see them finish. How did that feel? Um, good. I bet. Because he, he ran and then I finished and we then waited and we waited. Um, I think our, our first winter was.

A little over three hours. Okay. And Andrea had finished my 1 25. Yeah. And so we were waiting, and then we didn't wanna miss anybody because you don't wanna misplace your Special Olympics athlete during the race. But all of 'em were well prepared and they knew just keep following the people in front of you and you'll get back here where we started.

And I think our last one was in about. Close to four hours. Yeah. And finally saw him coming down New York. I said, oh, we're done. Oh, wow. So five athletes. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So we, so the same five that did the first year then all came back the second year. Second year did it again. We were hoping to recruit, but people were a little fearful, like, oh, I don't know if I can do that.

Right. So we're hope, hoping to keep getting some more people to realize that yes, you can. Yeah. If you train. Yeah, absolutely. How do you get connected to them through Special Olympics? They connect you. Well, we get the word out and we know lots of people. Mm-hmm. And we say we're gonna be having these Sunday morning training sessions.

Mm-hmm. And so we, um, had a nice half mile loop. On the park tutor campus. Oh, okay. So we tried being on the monan. It was too many people. People in your way? Many bikes. Yeah. A lot of bikes. And um, three of the guys who ran are on the autism spectrum and that was just freaking 'em out. So they were more worried about the bikes mm-hmm.

Than running. So just kind of doing that loop. And there's some nice hills back there. We got a nice uphill. And then some downhill. So they were ready then, because the mini's a pretty flat horse. Yeah, absolutely. And we told 'em there won't be any bikes. No bikes. Yeah. Except this year there was the one guy on the unicycle.

Did you see him? No. Andrew, do you, do you remember seeing him? There was this guy on a bike that was like a huge wheel and he was in, he was like with. Pete, it was bad. I don't know how he got on there. Some of my friends said they saw him at the finish, and I'm like, yeah. I mean, I don't know what that guy was doing, but anyway.

Yeah, there shouldn't be any bikes. Right? Or have them start sooner so than they're all done. Right? Yeah. Yeah. And at what point, this is kind of backtracking at what point Craig, did you know that Andrew was fast enough for. US game. How did you kind of get into the games? When Andrew ran cross country in middle school, um, I saw that he could keep up and there were some really good runners.

But interestingly, um, the coach at the first practice kind of pulled me over and said, I don't think this is gonna work. Um, I don't think Andrew could follow directions. Um, maybe there's something else he can do. And I thought for a moment, and I looked at him and I said, um, you'll see Andrew every night at practice and I'll check in with you and we'll make this work.

And Andrew, for most of the season, was the second runner in. And, and there were like 30 guys on the team. And that was sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and he was the sixth grader. And, um, but it was, that's when we saw, um, how people that meant well. Really ignored Andrew. Mm-hmm. So here the people are like, well, how did he do that? And, and they didn't know how to even interact with Andrew. Mm-hmm. So it was, it was kind of frustrating to watch. Yeah. Um, and, and trying to find the right people in the running community. Hmm. 'cause in general, the running community is pretty welcoming, but not necessarily welcoming of. Everybody, because then people can be put off like, well, why is he talking to everybody?

And it's like, he has a disability and, and people not sure what to do with that. So yeah, we welcome everybody, but if you're a little bit different, then we struggle to welcome you. Like, well, right, right, right. Wait a minute. And, and so we slowly found people that were, um, that could handle it. Yeah. Yeah.

That, um, they're probably one of the best. Mentors that Andrew had was Jesse Davis, who's one of the best marathoners out of Indianapolis and has won the monumental and always was good to Andrew. Hmm. That probably two, three times a month he would do a training run with just he and Andrew and they would talk, they would talk the whole time and they'd be running like, um, seven minute pace.

And not me. Yeah. Fuck God. And, and so those people really stood out. Mm-hmm. And, and in trying to cultivate more of those people that, that, at the end of the day, don't we all benefit more when we reach out to people Yeah. And understand people that are different. Right. Right. Than us. Yeah. Craig, this is going back again, but I just am interested in how.

How you came to find Andrew and how he became a part of your life because you know, people don't know how to interact or bring in people that are different. And here you are with a family. Mm-hmm. Like, and that just to me is, speaks to your character as a human. But could you tell us a little bit about that, how that came to be?

I looked into adoption and there were a lot of people who were looking for a newborn, and when you're adopting from foster care, you're probably not gonna get a newborn. Mm-hmm. And my adoption specialist sit said, you seem pretty eager to do this. And she said, if you want this to happen sooner than later.

You need to understand the pool of people. Mm-hmm. Who are out there. And she said there's sibling groups that are really difficult to place children of a different race and those who have special needs, those are the kids. Who languish in foster care for years and then often age out at age 18 because nobody wanted them.

Mm-hmm. And what was interesting that when I saw this sibling group of four from Anderson, I thought there'd be lots of interest. Well, there was over 300 people that expressed interest, and about 90% of those said, well, we're only interested in the 2-year-old. So people were more concerned about breaking up a sibling group.

The only stability they have, yeah, these children have, we're gonna rip you outta that sibling group because we only because we want a young child. And the case managers in Madison County said, well, we appreciate your interest, but our goal remains having them adopted together. And then I learned after the fact that, um.

If I had said no at the end when they picked me, there was nobody else. No one else in the state of Indiana was willing to take the sibling group. And that's what people don't realize. Yeah. And so there's three, three boys and a girl. Wow. And all with special needs or mm-hmm. All, all, all that fetal alcohol syndrome.

Hmm. How did you know you could take that on? I guess you wouldn't, wouldn't know, but that's, well, I'd, I'd been a runner for years. And you learned some discipline. Yeah. And you set a goal and you, you make it work. Wow. And wow, there were some rough days. Yeah. There were some really rough days, but we worked through it.

So we always had the rule that we go to bed and we start fresh the next morning. Yeah. And we have a short memory. And that worked for the most part. Wow. And I hope that people who listen to this episode become a little more aware of those types of scenarios that exist. And certainly there's a lot, lot more, but the fact that all of those things, sibling groups, different race and disabled.

Wow, man, I, I bet running too helps with the, some of those tough, tough days. Did you, would you run. With what, at what point did you start running together with the kids? And is Andrew the only, only runner? We kind of had the, um, the mandatory sixth grade cross country participation at, at my house because there weren't a whole lot of false sports.

Mm-hmm. And that gets you involved at school and keeps you busy. And so all of my kids ran cross country in sixth grade. And Andrew was really good. Wow. So now let's kind of fast forward. So we've talked a little bit about some of your favorite races, and then I found out that you ran 150 miles in three days. So I wanna hear more about that. And that was during the pandemic? Correct. During the pandemic, I ran 150 miles. In three days I promoted 500 Festival and Ian, the mini marathon.

I also raised money. Four Gleaners Food Bank. Did you run 50 miles each day? We got a little bit ahead. Yeah. So he was still feeling like I can do it. So we thought if we have a little cushion going into day three. Yeah. So on day three we had about 42 miles to finish. Wow. And where. We ran everywhere. Yeah.

And, um, we ran downtown. We ran at Eagle Creek, we ran on the Monan. And where and where did you finish? Uh, uh, on, on that third day to finish the last 13 miles. What did you do? I, on the, uh, Speedway track. So, so did you run the actual mini marathon course? Yes. Yeah. So ran the actual mini marathon course. So we had a guy that we knew from our association with the November project, who's a, um, medical resident at IU Hospital.

And so he agreed to run the course because the streets weren't blocked off. Right? So, yeah, so, so, so we were running that 13 mile course in traffic. And then we went through all the proper channels to get the okay then to run the speedway and got all that to work out, and it was a great experience. Then.

Did you sleep for three days? Yeah. Uh oh. Probably not. Yeah. No, but hopefully you got some good rest after that. What is the November project that you mentioned? The November project is. A free fitness movement that has tribes, and it's probably close to 70 cities, most in the United States, but there's some abroad, some in Canada.

Okay. And early in the morning, it's 6:00 AM two to three times a week. These groups meet at locations in the urban setting and use that for their workout. So, okay. So Wednesday workouts are always at the War Memorial, so we know those steps at the War Memorial. Really good. Yeah. Ooh, and And then what is cool is that then when we've been traveling, that we've been able then to out with the November project tribes in Seattle, Boston.

Washington DC was there, was there another Philadelphia? Oh yeah. So the Philadelphia group meets at the, the location where Rocky, this film showed Uhhuh. Mm-hmm. The steps for Rocky. We got to do those steps too. We got to do the rocky steps on a cold January day. That was about eight degrees out.

What is Andrew your favorite weather? To run in, um, 30, uh, degrees. Okay. Yeah. Instead of this summer heat. It's hard. Yeah. So it'll be 30 degrees out on Andrew's out there without his shirt on. Yeah. 'cause he just heats up and no time at all. And he will say, aren't, aren't you cold? He'll have two pairs of gloves on, so as long as his fingers aren't cold, we're good.

Yeah. That's funny. Somebody who knows, Andrew actually told me that they're like, and he always runs with his shirt off 'cause he's always hot. It's like, yeah. So for the five, back to the 500 festival, you're raising money for the 500 festival and for or for Gleaners rather, but you were doing it to promote the 500 festival.

You're an ambassador and, but you're an ambassador for the 500 festival versus the mini marathon. So it's kind of like. Overarching ambassador versus just the race. Mm-hmm. And what is that like after Andrew qualified for Boston in 2017? Mm-hmm. Um, Bob Bryant, the executive director of the 500 Festival, was impressed and reached out to Andrew and said, I have a job for you.

I want you to promote running and be out there and be visible in the. Community. And so what other events do you help out with with the Fran Festival? Um, the rookie era. Oh, that's cool. My daughter did that two years ago. And And what other race? Uh, the Mini. Mini. Yeah. The Mini. Mini. And those are. The Mini.

Mini is at the Speedway, is that correct? Right. So the rookie run downtown for three to maybe eight year olds. Mm-hmm. And then the Mini, mini is at the Speedway and for kids a little bit older. Okay. And as you get older, they add on.

More distance. Mm-hmm. And so I think the, like the 12 year olds ran like two miles. Okay, gotcha. And have you done the parade? Yes. Did you like that? Yes. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. That would be fun. I've never been in a parade. Were you on, did you get to sit in a car or were you on a float the first year you were in a convertible?

And the second year, were you on a float with Lynn St. James? Yes. Okay. How many times have you run the mini? He started running the, the 5K, which takes place, um, right before the mini takes place. And I think we had done that about five years from maybe age 12 on, and then we, um, started doing the mini. So I think by now we've done.

Probably just over 10 minis. Okay. Yeah, I'm about, I'm about the same. I think I've done just over 10 minis. It's my, one of my favorites for sure. And how many times have you run it, Craig? Have you, do you typically spectate that one or, um, early on I did. And then went, Andrew was able just to be comfortable and knowing where the.

Course wise. Mm-hmm. Um, I, I've ran on it the past five years. Nice. Before we talk about motivational speaking, I wanted to talk a little bit more about supporting you, Andrew. How can other runners, races, and maybe this question is for you, Craig, but how, how do we better support people like Andrew who are so great for the sport?

Mm-hmm. Runners come in lots of ways. Mm-hmm. They're older, they're younger, they're, they're fit, they're running their first maybe big race. People have fancy shoes. People have got some shoes they build out of the closet. So it's a very eclectic group and I think the more we just support everybody and not make it clique-ish.

Mm-hmm. Just say. If we all run, we all benefit. Mm-hmm. We become a stronger community by doing that. Yeah. Yeah. Are there, well, I don't wanna put anybody, I don't wanna throw anybody under the bus. I was gonna ask about any local, are there any clubs here that have done a good job? And if they haven't done a good job, you can tell me afterwards.

I'll go yell at somebody. Running groups that are more diverse to begin with. Tend to be a little bit more welcoming. Um, so Andrew has always had a good experience anytime he, um, on a Saturday morning joins with the Indie runners group. Yeah, they've always been good. And, and he's not there every Saturday 'cause he has many groups he can be a part of, so they always enjoy, oh, Andrew here's, and, and for a couple of years, Andrew's um.

Been one of the pacers for their spring training program. Okay. And so that's been good. And the same way that you saw Andrew encouraging everybody mm-hmm. On those pace days. Um, Andrew's talking to everybody. Yeah. And you're letting people know that they can do it. Yeah, Andrew, I could barely breathe and Andrew's just like, boop do.

Good job everybody. I'm like, you do like I, I'll have to show you the video so you can see it, but I just remember thinking, man, he's just cheering everybody on and he looks like he, you did not look like you had broken a sweat. You were no problem. And it was over halfway. It was on the Speedway and so, yeah.

I'm just so glad everyone's like, oh yeah, that's Andrew. And when we do races, now that we decide, is this a race we're doing for time or is this a race we're doing for fun? Yeah. Because Andrew really likes the fun part. Mm-hmm. And running with people, cheering them on, and then going to the next group. And so that's, that's the mode he was in when you saw him.

Yeah. Last year's mini. Yeah, but he, I tell you what, he's still going fast. Oh, right, right. So fast. Right? Yeah. We've ran all these races and I set my phone on my alarm on pm Not am That's one of my biggest fears. We woke up and I said, oh my God, it's, it's six 50 and the race starts at 7:00 AM and. We were up and out the door and down Michigan Road and found a place to park.

So Andrew missed his wave, so he started further back. Oh, so, so, so he was trying to play, kind of catch a throw. I said, Andrew, just do your best. Yeah. Just go have fun today. Right, right. Sorry. Yeah. It's gonna be a fun day today. Yeah. Especially at the mini where there's so many people, it's just hard to.

It's hard to navigate through everybody to get up further. So now Andrew, I hear that you also have started doing some speaking, some motivational speaking. Do you like, do you like to speak in front of an audience? Yes, actually he's been doing it about 10 years. 10 years? Oh yeah. 10 years of motivational speaking.

Okay. Forgive me. So you've been doing that a long time? Well, that, um, there's a support group for Special Olympics nationally called the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Okay. Special Olympics. It started in Wichita, Kansas, which local law enforcement were raising money for the organization. Mm-hmm. And it spread throughout the country and they have a big conference.

Every year and in 2012. Oh wow. It was here in Indianapolis and one of the evening keynotes at the Cambridge Field House. Andrew was the keynote, and so we were speaking well over a thousand people and he.

On and people heard the message and, and, um, hearing the message from someone who's a member of the community mm-hmm. Versus someone else talking about that community mm-hmm. Was very impactful. And then about that same time, um, that Special Olympics was beginning the Champions Together program. Which is promoting Unified sports in all the member high schools of the IHSA.

Oh, okay. And the Student advisor committee was hearing presentations from Special Olympics, Indiana and from Riley Hospital. And Andrew was the, the big hitter. Special presentation. So he went in there and spoke to and they were like, oh, we're Special Olympics. And so they picked and, and part of that program was they were trying to get all school gatherings. And Andrew, you spoke at many Indiana high schools. Well, over hundred. Yeah. So, so typically on a Friday afternoon in the gymnasium. At the day, they packed him in there and you could hear a pin drop, and it was just a great experience and probably spoke to 25,000 high school students. Wow. Yeah. And whether it was the big schools or the small schools, it was all over.

Up in lake, down along the Ohio River, um, everywhere in between and just had a really good experience. And in fact, probably one of his most impactful speeches was at Ezio High School. Well over 2000 people packed in into gymnasium. And the principal said, in all my years, that is the best presentation we've ever given to our students.

Left. That got me thinking, yeah. I can be more respectful. Yeah. To better understand. Mm-hmm. And so enjoyed that opportunity. Did that make you nervous speaking in front of people or are you just Oh, no. No. Right. And that's, aren't you nervous? And I remember when, when, when he did his very first high school speech, it was that.

Evansville Harrison and one of the student advisory committee members for the IHSA, um, it was her school and she was so nervous that kids were like, heckle Andrew and he wouldn't be able to finish the speech. And he got up there and it was perfect. Wow. And, and that's.

This really works and people are hearing the message. I get so nervous speaking in front of people, like so nervous. It's really cool. Really cool that you've done that that many times that you've probably spoken to tens of thousands of people then at this point. Wow. Um, did the Oh, right, yeah. Piece.

We calls

and so we've to a group at Boeing that we've spoken to, um, a group of private. In Seattle. Wow. Because people wanted to hear a different message. Yeah. That would inspire people to be even better than they're Yeah, and try and make this work, man. I feel like there should be a documentary on your life. And that's a good point, because one's coming.

No, that makes me really happy. Yeah. That, um, documentary film team of a father and his son who has cerebral palsy, Dan and Samuel Habi have been working on this project and it's about to come out and so there's an initial about 60 minute documentary. Okay. And it features eight adults with disabilities.

Try people. Oh, these people have too. Yeah. This takes a just and that some webinars just to continue to spread the message endorsed by.

Community because hey, we've got this person who's a great spokesperson, who really, it's the nail on the head. Mm-hmm. Giving the message. Yeah. Well, I can't wait to see that. I'll definitely be watching that and I'll include a lot of the videos that you shared with me, Craig. I'll include those in the show notes of the podcast.

'cause those people should definitely watch as well that the people at. It's like, who gets to interview Andrew this time? So, so he's, over the years, I think we've probably done 10 different segments with WTHR. Do you get nervous, Craig? No. It doesn't matter. You just gotta be prepared. Yeah. So that's how prepared, and, and we don know that if we prepared and we're practiced, yeah.

It's normal. Everything will go like clockwork. Mm-hmm. But if we're not prepared, and then I'm springing something on Andrew at the last minute mm-hmm. We know that's setting him up for failure. Yeah. So I always know that if we stick to the plan and we're on it. That's perfect. So I wanna be respectful of your time.

We're just, we're after 10 now. I can ask the end of the podcast questions Sure. That I ask everybody. So what is your favorite running mantra? So like something you say to yourself or to others or song? Is it that, or is it being around the people, the people. So, so when Andrew trains with a higher ability group, he rises to the occasion if he's running with some slower people.

We just have a nice little jog with those people. Mm-hmm. And so, um, really gets the vibe from the people so he knows that this group's going slower, well. Why I have to show off and be way out in front. I wanna support these people. So he just kind of adjust his running, running style for that day based upon the group of people.

The people. Yeah. And, and so I think it's the people and then seeing. Those people at a race, and then who am I gonna run with? Mm-hmm. So I think that's, that's very concrete and that's what he really enjoys the most. The same way that you saw him during the mini marathon when he ran the Rock and Roll Marathon in Seattle three or four years ago.

He's running and someone says there's a guy from the ESPN video. And so Andrews then is carrying on like a. 10 minute conversation. Oh, that's with this person. Because that's really cool because the guy wanted to talk and that made, that made it a great race. Was that his best marathon time? No, but thoroughly enjoyed the race.

Yeah. And where does the, I noticed on Instagram it's no limits. Andrew, where does the No Limits? Come from. That reminds me kind of a mantra too. It's like there's clearly no limits. You have shown that somebody like you can do anything that they set their mind to. And so is that just kind of where that stemmed from?

The inspiration from Andrew? Yeah. There, um, there was a. A film about Steve Prefontaine. Mm, the great distance runner out of the University of Oregon who competed in the Munich Olympics, but then tragically died in a car accident. And Andrews watched those two films, I don't know how many times, but one of the films was called Without Limits.

And so I said, well, you have no limits. And it's kind of just where that started and. We believe wholeheartedly that when you give people the right supports, they have no limits. Yeah. But if we don't understand that different people need a little different help along the way, that's what makes all the difference in.

Mm-hmm. Hmm. That's so good. A lot of people listen to this on while they're running. And so I just, I mean, yeah, if you're not motivated by, by this, I don't know. I don't know what, what else to give you to be motivated. 'cause it's just like, yeah. And when you've been running as long as Andrew has, you need something new.

Yeah. To kind of keep it interestinghmm. That's kind of where the inspiration came for that hundred 50 mile run. Yeah. To do something different. Qualified for Boston. It's like Andrew has no huge need to do that. Again. It wasn't his favorite race. Mm-hmm. He's too crowded. Yeah. Um, likes doing things in the community.

He's coached Special Olympics athletes for over a decade, and then we've got people to do the mini. And what, what are you doing now coaching wise? I'm the head cross country coach for Charles a Tinley. Wow. And Andrew went to middle school and high school at Charles H. White. I guess it was small, and people would know how to work with him.

Mm-hmm. And for a handful of years there, Andrew was the entire team of one. Wow. And, um, still holds the school record for the 5K. He in 2010. That's cool. And the athletic director who's been there since Andrew was there, it was shortly before cross country season, he said, I don't have a cross country coach.

And he said, Andrew, and he went and talked to the principal and the principal said, that is a great idea. And so at practice, what do you do? I'm just, uh, firm with them. So Andrew runs every practice with them. So when they're doing 10, three hundreds on, on the track, Andrew's doing the 10, three hundreds on the track with them.

So you have somebody right there Yeah. With you. And, um, and just started his second year. Wow. I'd imagine not many coaches can run with their athletes, right? Yeah. Well, and, and, and then we found out that, um, Andrew is the first head coach in any sport in the history of IHSA with a disability. Wow. So we're constantly breaking those glasses.

Heck yeah. So what's next? What Are you signed up for any races this fall? Um, just the monumental half. All right. I'll be there too. Dope. Yeah. The, the Andrew, he has so many things to pick from. Yeah. Because he, he stays really busy and, and so he said, um, how many more marathons that I'm doing because the ticks are real.

Yeah. Commitment to train for a marathon and doing it year round. Mm-hmm. And so I said. Let's get to 20, let's get to 20, and then you can decide what works best for you. So monumental last fall was his 20th. Wow. And so now we're gonna do some haves, some five Ks, some different types of things. So we, so it remains fun.

Yes. Yeah. I can appreciate that. And maybe a couple years down the road, just sale. I wanna do a few more marathons. Mm-hmm. But then that'll be his choice, right? Yeah. It's all about not getting burnt out or tired of, doesn't wanna feel like a chore. You wanna have fun running, right? And yeah, runner goes through that burnout and so mm-hmm.

Mixing it up absolutely is, is good to do. And there's lots of options. To pick from here. Yeah. Well, and, and, and then, and then we found out last year that when Andrew was serving as head coach, there were races we had signed up for. Well, they were all on Saturday mornings, right? Mm-hmm. And you can't be a.

Fort Bend running the Indy half when Yeah. Yeah. You have to be with your team at a mm-hmm. Cross country race. So that's kind of had to adjust things as well. Yeah, that makes sense. Well, Andrew, I hope I get to see you at the monumental half, although you'll be. Depends if you're running for fun or if you're running for time.

'cause if you're running for fun, maybe I'll see you, but otherwise you'll be way faster than me. So dope. Yeah. I'm so grateful that, that you both came to talk to me today. It was nice to finally put a face to the voice that I heard flying by me at the Mini. So I hope everybody listening to this has enjoyed this conversation with Andrew and his dad, Craig.

And this comes out on a Friday, so it'll be this Friday, and so I hope everyone has a great weekend and happy running. That's why I say to everybody happy running, right. It's always fun.

Ally Brettnacher