INTRODUCES US TO GAVIN FOR WE LEARNED ABOUT AS QUICKLY THAT GAVIN FORD DOES NOT LIVE IN ORDINARY LIFE. AS WE LEARNED THAT GAVIN FORD IS AN EXTRAORDINARY KID. I’M LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. I DON’T WANT YOU TO TREAT ME DIFFERENTLY. HE WAS THE FIRST KID TO PLAY IN THE LITTLE LEAGUE MAJORS IN A WHEELCHAIR IN HIS HOMETOWN OF NORTH REDDING. FUNNY STORY, ACTUALLY. MY FIRST AT BAT. FIRST PITCH, I GOT HIT RIGHT IN THE NECK. JUST THE FASTBALL RIGHT TO THE NECK. AND I WAS KIND OF A WELCOME. YOU’RE HERE. IT’S AMAZING THAT HE’S HERE. BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA, A NEURAL DEFECT OF THE SPINE. HE USES EVERY OUNCE OF ENERGY TO DO ALL THE THINGS HE LOVES TO DO THROUGH ADAPTIVE BASKETBALL IN LACROSSE, SURFING AND BASEBALL, AND HIS FAVORITE SLED HOCKEY. GAVIN IS A 15 YEAR OLD ATHLETE IN SPITE OF YEARS OF SURGERIES AND MONTHS SPENT AWAY FROM RINKS IN COURTS. AND IN 2020, TWO OUT OF 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR, GAVIN WAS BEDBOUND FOR 192 OF THEM. STILL, HE HOPES ONE DAY TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE PARALYMPICS. BUT HIS GOALS DON’T END THERE. I LEARNED ENGINEERING ALL THIS YEAR. I WANT TO BE AN ARCHITECT. THAT’S MY DREAM JOB. NOT EVERY BUILDING IS ACCESSIBLE, SO I DON’T REALLY WANT THAT TO BE A STRUGGLE FOR ANYBODY BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH THAT. HE’S AMAZING, BUT WHAT I REALLY RESPECT IS HIS WILLINGNESS TO SHARE HIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS. SO WHY DO WE DECIDE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO GAVIN FORD TODAY? BECAUSE KIDS LIKE GAVIN ARE NOT JUST HERE TO INSPIRE OTHER KIDS LIKE GAVIN. THEY’RE HERE TO SHOW THE REST OF THE WORLD HOW TO LIVE IN NORTH ANDOVER JOSH BROGADIR WHY WCVB SPORTSCENTER 5? WELL PUT.

15-year-old para-athlete in Massachusetts inspiring others with his ability

Updated: 5:46 AM EDT Jun 21, 2023

Gavin Ford insists on not being treated any differently, despite the extraordinary para-athlete living a life that is anything but ordinary.Ford was the first kid in his hometown of North Reading, Massachusetts, to play in the Little League majors division while in a wheelchair."Funny story, actually. My first at bat, first pitch, I got hit right in the neck. Just a fastball right to the neck and I was kind of like: 'Welcome, you're here,'" Ford said while smiling and chuckling.Born with spina bifida, a neurological birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn't form properly, Gavin uses every ounce of energy in order to do all of the things he loves to do. He is able to participate in a number of sports from adaptive basketball and lacrosse to surfing and baseball, and his favorite, sled ice hockey. That is all despite years of surgeries and months away from fields, rinks, courts and the ocean."In 2022, out of 365 days of the year, Gavin was bed-bound for 192 of them," said Jen Ford, Gavin's mother.Gavin hopes one day to participate in the Paralympics, but he also has an even more altruistic goal."I learned engineering all this year. I want to be an architect. That's my dream job," Gavin said. "Not every building is accessible, so I don't really want that to be a struggle for anybody because I know I have to struggle with that.""He's amazing, but what I really respect is his willingness to share his opportunity for the benefit of others," Jen Ford said.

Gavin Ford insists on not being treated any differently, despite the extraordinary para-athlete living a life that is anything but ordinary.

Ford was the first kid in his hometown of North Reading, Massachusetts, to play in the Little League majors division while in a wheelchair.

"Funny story, actually. My first at bat, first pitch, I got hit right in the neck. Just a fastball right to the neck and I was kind of like: 'Welcome, you're here,'" Ford said while smiling and chuckling.

Born with spina bifida, a neurological birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn't form properly, Gavin uses every ounce of energy in order to do all of the things he loves to do. He is able to participate in a number of sports from adaptive basketball and lacrosse to surfing and baseball, and his favorite, sled ice hockey. That is all despite years of surgeries and months away from fields, rinks, courts and the ocean.

"In 2022, out of 365 days of the year, Gavin was bed-bound for 192 of them," said Jen Ford, Gavin's mother.

Gavin hopes one day to participate in the Paralympics, but he also has an even more altruistic goal.

"I learned engineering all this year. I want to be an architect. That's my dream job," Gavin said. "Not every building is accessible, so I don't really want that to be a struggle for anybody because I know I have to struggle with that."

"He's amazing, but what I really respect is his willingness to share his opportunity for the benefit of others," Jen Ford said.

Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb's love of running began when she was a young child. She felt it was a way of living and seeing the world."I just wanted to experience life and running was a time when I felt the life force of the universe," Gibb, who is now 80 years old, said.Gibb, a native of Winchester, Massachusetts, is a legend in the sport of distance running, as she is the first woman to ever run and complete the Boston Marathon.In 1966, the Boston Marathon was still an all-men's race, but Gibb applied to run in it anyway. She received a letter back in response to her application that denied her entry and read: "Women are not physiologically able to run marathon distances. We can't take the medical liability.""I crumpled it up and threw it away," Gibb said. Gibb, who was living in San Diego, California at the time, ran out her door after tossing the rejection letter and raced up the beach for 20 miles to release her anger.After that run, she decided that she would find any way to run the Boston Marathon that year. Gibb convinced her initially reluctant mother to drive her to the marathon start line on April 19, 1966."This — that people think is impossible — is going to throw into question all the other misconceptions and false beliefs about women," Gibb said she told her mother.On race day, Gibb ran around Hopkinton, which is located around 30 miles from Boston, for 40 minutes to warm up for the marathon and find a place where she could sneak into the field of runners. She eventually hid behind a forsythia bush that was near the start line and joined the race pack shortly after the starting gun.Gibb was wearing her brother's Bermuda shorts, a hoodie and boy's sneakers in an effort to disguise herself, but runners around her eventually started to figure out that they were racing against a woman."At first, they didn't realize that I was a woman," Gibb said. "Then, I could feel this studious silence behind me and I could hear the guys behind me talking. 'Is that a girl? Is that a girl?' I turned around and they said: 'It is a woman! Wow, this is fantastic!'" Gibb said the runners around her also told her that they would not let her get kicked out of the race, as word that there was a woman competing in the Boston Marathon quickly spread."The guys were really supportive. They said. 'We won't let them throw you out. It's a free road,'" Gibb said. Gibb recalled the press showing up to her parents’ home, asking about her competing in the race. She took the attention to be a positive aspect of her run."This is what I wanted to do. I wanted to stop the stupid war between the sexes and show men and women can share all of life," Gibb said.Gibb went on to have a working career, which not many women had back in those days, first as a lawyer and later as an artist. She continues to create paintings and sculptures today.She also continues to run: as much as 10 miles through local trails and on the beach. Her artwork is often influenced by her running journey because, for Gibb, running was always about the world she saw along the way."When I run I feel — I still do — when I’m racing down the beach: 'Wow, I’m alive! I’m alive!'" she said.

ROCKPORT, Mass. —

Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb's love of running began when she was a young child. She felt it was a way of living and seeing the world.

"I just wanted to experience life and running was a time when I felt the life force of the universe," Gibb, who is now 80 years old, said.

Gibb, a native of Winchester, Massachusetts, is a legend in the sport of distance running, as she is the first woman to ever run and complete the Boston Marathon.

In 1966, the Boston Marathon was still an all-men's race, but Gibb applied to run in it anyway. She received a letter back in response to her application that denied her entry and read: "Women are not physiologically able to run marathon distances. We can't take the medical liability."

"I crumpled it up and threw it away," Gibb said.

Gibb, who was living in San Diego, California at the time, ran out her door after tossing the rejection letter and raced up the beach for 20 miles to release her anger.

After that run, she decided that she would find any way to run the Boston Marathon that year. Gibb convinced her initially reluctant mother to drive her to the marathon start line on April 19, 1966.

"This — that people think is impossible — is going to throw into question all the other misconceptions and false beliefs about women," Gibb said she told her mother.

On race day, Gibb ran around Hopkinton, which is located around 30 miles from Boston, for 40 minutes to warm up for the marathon and find a place where she could sneak into the field of runners.

She eventually hid behind a forsythia bush that was near the start line and joined the race pack shortly after the starting gun.

Getty ImagesFred Kaplan/Sports Illustrated via Getty

Gibb was wearing her brother's Bermuda shorts, a hoodie and boy's sneakers in an effort to disguise herself, but runners around her eventually started to figure out that they were racing against a woman.

"At first, they didn't realize that I was a woman," Gibb said. "Then, I could feel this studious silence behind me and I could hear the guys behind me talking. 'Is that a girl? Is that a girl?' I turned around and they said: 'It is a woman! Wow, this is fantastic!'"

Gibb said the runners around her also told her that they would not let her get kicked out of the race, as word that there was a woman competing in the Boston Marathon quickly spread.

"The guys were really supportive. They said. 'We won't let them throw you out. It's a free road,'" Gibb said.

Getty ImagesFred Kaplan/Sports Illustrated via Getty

Gibb recalled the press showing up to her parents’ home, asking about her competing in the race. She took the attention to be a positive aspect of her run.

"This is what I wanted to do. I wanted to stop the stupid war between the sexes and show men and women can share all of life," Gibb said.

Gibb went on to have a working career, which not many women had back in those days, first as a lawyer and later as an artist. She continues to create paintings and sculptures today.

She also continues to run: as much as 10 miles through local trails and on the beach. Her artwork is often influenced by her running journey because, for Gibb, running was always about the world she saw along the way.

"When I run I feel — I still do — when I’m racing down the beach: 'Wow, I’m alive! I’m alive!'" she said.