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Local man with autism competes in NYC marathon

Local man with autism competes in NYC marathon
INSPIRES, CREATED A A WAY FOR THE NEVER TO BE TO BE POSSIBLE GREATER THAN THAT POSSIBLE MISSION COMPLETE. JACK KNIGHT CROSSING THE FINISH OF THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON ON. THIS. HIS MOM’S VIEW. I WAS SCREAMING LIKE A BANSHEE AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN TEARS. IT WAS AMAZING. TERRIBLE THING I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY. CHECK THIS THING OUT. THIS IS INCREDIBLE ONE. WOW. CAN WE PUT THIS ON YOU? JACK IS A 29 YEAR OLD ATHLETE WITH AUTISM MOSTLY NONVERBAL, BUT THROUGH THERAPY, HE SAID, I WANT TO RUN. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THAT WANTS TO GO RUN. BECAUSE IF I SAID LET’S GO FOR A WALK AROUND THE BLOCK, I MEAN, BULL MELTDOWN. HIS TRAINER, KEVIN, KNOWS JACK WELL. WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED, HE COULDN’T EVEN DO A SIT UP OR JUMPING. JACK TOOK FIVE YEARS FOR ME TO DISCOVER THE ONLY WAY. GET HIM TO DO A JUMPING JACK, RIGHT. IS TO PUT HIM IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR BAR. WHO? THREE TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW AMAZING FOR KEVIN HAD TO TEACH HIM ALL BACK. AND NOW HE DOES HAVE TO DO THREE FOOT HIGH BOX JUMPS. JUMP, JUMP GOOD. THOUGH SURPRISED AT HIS DESIRE TO HIT THE PAVEMENT, THEY LACED UP FOR THEIR JOURNEY TO BEGIN. FIRST, AROUND THE BLOCK THEN TO A5K TEN K HALF MARATHON AND FINALLY WORKING THEIR WAY TO A. 26.2 MILES. WITH I SET ON NEW YORK CITY WITH KEVIN AND WITH CULTURE CITY. WE DID FIND A WAY TO DO IT. THEY WE TOOK HIM UP A FEW DAYS EARLIER SO THAT HE COULD USED TO THE BIG CITY THE NOISES THE MOUNTS OF PEOPLE ABOUT 50,000 RUNNERS THERE PLUS CULTURE CITY MAKING ACCOMMODATIONS IN ADVANCE. THEY BELIEVE THOSE WITH SENSORY SENSIBILITIES OR INVISIBLE DISABILITIES SHOULD NOT MISS OUT ON EVENTS OR THEIR DREAMS. I’M TALKING LIKE CONFETTI, GUNS YOU NAME IT. JUST LOUD NOISES, WHICH FOR SOMEONE LIKE JACK IS A LOT. AND SO KEPT LOOKING OVER AT HIM. HE WAS HIGH FIVE AND RUNNERS CAN DO YOU BELIEVE THEY CAN DO. YOU SAID YOU JUST RIGHT NOW POST MARATHON. I ASKED JACK’S PARENTS, DID YOU EVER IMAGINE JACK WOULD RUN MARATHON? YES, WE DID. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING HE WANTS TO DO. SERIOUSLY? FEAR LIMITATION? NO, BECAUSE WE. WE WERE TOLD WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, HE’D NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. HE’D NEVER DO OF SUBSTANCE WHEN TOLD HE SHOULD BE INSTITUTIONALIZED. HIS PARENTS SAID NO. I THINK HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING IMPACTFUL WITH HIS RUNNING. HE IS SHOWING PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BELIEF BEHIND YOU, WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN INCLUDED AND NOT BE INCLUDED, BUT A LEADER OTHERS TO MAKE THE
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Local man with autism competes in NYC marathon
Jack Knight is a perfect example of Kulture City’s mission, “making the nevers possible.” Knight recently crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon. He is a 29-year-old athlete with autism, mostly non-verbal, and through therapy, he said he wanted to run. So, with the help of his family, trainer Kevin Burke, and Kulture City, he put in the work and accomplished more than most can say they have. At one point, Knight couldn’t do a jumping jack or a sit-up. Now he does that and box jumps, burpees, and has worked his way from walking around the block to completing the NYC marathon. About 50,000 runners there plus thousands of more spectators and Jack was out there high-fiving runners. Kulture City believes those with sensory sensibilities or invisible disabilities shouldn’t miss out on events, and so they made this happen with his incredible coach. When WVTM 13’s Brittany Decker spoke to Jack’s mom, Diane Knight. Decker said, “I bet you couldn’t believe he ran a marathon!?” Diane Knight's response “Yes—we actually did believe it-- he can do anything he wants to do.” “There are no limitations for him. We were told when he was younger he’d never amount to anything of substance, it was suggested in high school to institutionalize him—but nope-- we never gave up on him," Diane Knight said.

Jack Knight is a perfect example of Kulture City’s mission, “making the nevers possible.”

Knight recently crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon. He is a 29-year-old athlete with autism, mostly non-verbal, and through therapy, he said he wanted to run. So, with the help of his family, trainer Kevin Burke, and Kulture City, he put in the work and accomplished more than most can say they have.

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At one point, Knight couldn’t do a jumping jack or a sit-up. Now he does that and box jumps, burpees, and has worked his way from walking around the block to completing the NYC marathon. About 50,000 runners there plus thousands of more spectators and Jack was out there high-fiving runners. Kulture City believes those with sensory sensibilities or invisible disabilities shouldn’t miss out on events, and so they made this happen with his incredible coach.

When WVTM 13’s Brittany Decker spoke to Jack’s mom, Diane Knight. Decker said, “I bet you couldn’t believe he ran a marathon!?” Diane Knight's response “Yes—we actually did believe it-- he can do anything he wants to do.”

“There are no limitations for him. We were told when he was younger he’d never amount to anything of substance, it was suggested in high school to institutionalize him—but nope-- we never gave up on him," Diane Knight said.