Good Story
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:18 am
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/sports/ci_13459341
although I cringe at the tilte...
Cross country preview: Watsonville's Knight not limited by birth deformity
By JULIE JAG
Posted: 10/01/2009 01:30:28 AM PDT
Brian Knight had a fire in his deep brown eyes when he approached his Watsonville High cross country coach about racing in the Junior Olympics in Greensboro, N.C., over the summer. An exhibition 800-meter race had caught the senior's eye.
But coach Alex Siqueiros took issue with more than the race's distance, which was about 10 laps shorter than his No. 1 runner races during the fall season. This race was for disabled runners.
"When he starts saying he wants to run these races, for me it was like, But you're not handicapped,'" Siqueiros said.
If handicapped means unable to do things, then Knight doesn't fit the definition. He's a standout student who's proud to claim a 4.02 grade-point average and the No. 12 spot in a class of 454. He's also a Central Coast Section qualifier in both track and cross country who plans to run in college. And he has designs on closing out his prep cross country career by leading the Wildcatz to their first state cross country meet in at least 15 years.
If handicapped means he has an extra challenge to overcome, however, then Knight fits the definition.
Knight was born with an under-developed right shoulder caused by a brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand. For Knight, the injury means he has limited use of his right arm.
It's not a big deal, he says -- except when he runs. Without a shoulder, he is unable to
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pump his right arm at an equal rate with his left.
"That's probably the biggest issue my arm creates is my form," Knight said. "It messes with my whole mechanics."
Siqueiros set out to tackle that issue the day Knight showed up for cross country practice four years ago.
"We said this is not a negative for us, we just have got to learn how to work it," Siqueiros said. "We never looked at it as a handicap."
He talked with other coaches and looked online for solutions. One included strapping the right arm to Knight's side so it wouldn't throw him off balance. Too restricting. Another included flinging his arm forward with a twist of his upper body to give him extra momentum. Too wild. A third option included lifting weights to strengthen the smaller shoulder. Too ineffective.
Finally, with the help of Harbor High coach and physical therapist Matt Ryan, Siqueiros hit upon a solution. Knight simply copied the mechanics of his good arm and truncated it, restricting and controlling the arm swing. It meant he had to shorten and speed up his strides, but it worked.
"He's really done well with that," Siqueiros said. "It looks really choppy and kind of funny sometimes. But, it works for him."
And how.
That Knight is the No. 1 runner on the Catz team isn't for lack of competition. Siqueiros said this is the strongest boys squad he's had in years -- one that should challenge for the Monterey Bay League and Central Coast Section Division I titles. It includes Knight's own little brother, David Knight, and the coach's son, Rene Siqueiros. Neither would mind, or even feel bad about, taking over the top spot. But it's not that easy.
"When we get out there, he's still Brian and we still think of him as Brian. We still push him," said Rene Siqueiros. "He doesn't want to see himself as different. He wants to see himself as a runner. He's out there to run. We'd better run with him or fall behind in the dust."
Knight feels the same.
"I do pretty well taking into account my arm," he said. "Sometimes I even forget that I have this brachial plexus injury. It completely slips my mind. Then I look out like, Oh, yeah, there's my arm.'
"No one makes me feel like I have a disadvantage or anything."
That concerned Knight when he struck upon a notice for the first Junior Olympics ambulatory race while scanning the Web one night.
"I wondered if I was injured enough," he said. "I was not exactly sure I would qualify for that type of race."
Organizers welcomed him, and he gave them good reason to invite him back. He finished second despite putting in little training for the short distance. Knight enjoyed the experience so much, he immediately began looking onto other ambulatory races. On Sunday, he'll race the USATF Cross Country Disability Championship in Long Island. A top finish will place him on the national paralympics team and qualify him for an international meet in Hungary.
Knight makes it clear that he won't sacrifice his team's success for these international excursions. Still, this is an exciting new adventure. And given his track record, there's no reason to believe he won't succeed.
"It has kind of given me this hunger that I want to win and be the best," he said. "The best I can and the best possible."
although I cringe at the tilte...
Cross country preview: Watsonville's Knight not limited by birth deformity
By JULIE JAG
Posted: 10/01/2009 01:30:28 AM PDT
Brian Knight had a fire in his deep brown eyes when he approached his Watsonville High cross country coach about racing in the Junior Olympics in Greensboro, N.C., over the summer. An exhibition 800-meter race had caught the senior's eye.
But coach Alex Siqueiros took issue with more than the race's distance, which was about 10 laps shorter than his No. 1 runner races during the fall season. This race was for disabled runners.
"When he starts saying he wants to run these races, for me it was like, But you're not handicapped,'" Siqueiros said.
If handicapped means unable to do things, then Knight doesn't fit the definition. He's a standout student who's proud to claim a 4.02 grade-point average and the No. 12 spot in a class of 454. He's also a Central Coast Section qualifier in both track and cross country who plans to run in college. And he has designs on closing out his prep cross country career by leading the Wildcatz to their first state cross country meet in at least 15 years.
If handicapped means he has an extra challenge to overcome, however, then Knight fits the definition.
Knight was born with an under-developed right shoulder caused by a brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand. For Knight, the injury means he has limited use of his right arm.
It's not a big deal, he says -- except when he runs. Without a shoulder, he is unable to
Advertisement
pump his right arm at an equal rate with his left.
"That's probably the biggest issue my arm creates is my form," Knight said. "It messes with my whole mechanics."
Siqueiros set out to tackle that issue the day Knight showed up for cross country practice four years ago.
"We said this is not a negative for us, we just have got to learn how to work it," Siqueiros said. "We never looked at it as a handicap."
He talked with other coaches and looked online for solutions. One included strapping the right arm to Knight's side so it wouldn't throw him off balance. Too restricting. Another included flinging his arm forward with a twist of his upper body to give him extra momentum. Too wild. A third option included lifting weights to strengthen the smaller shoulder. Too ineffective.
Finally, with the help of Harbor High coach and physical therapist Matt Ryan, Siqueiros hit upon a solution. Knight simply copied the mechanics of his good arm and truncated it, restricting and controlling the arm swing. It meant he had to shorten and speed up his strides, but it worked.
"He's really done well with that," Siqueiros said. "It looks really choppy and kind of funny sometimes. But, it works for him."
And how.
That Knight is the No. 1 runner on the Catz team isn't for lack of competition. Siqueiros said this is the strongest boys squad he's had in years -- one that should challenge for the Monterey Bay League and Central Coast Section Division I titles. It includes Knight's own little brother, David Knight, and the coach's son, Rene Siqueiros. Neither would mind, or even feel bad about, taking over the top spot. But it's not that easy.
"When we get out there, he's still Brian and we still think of him as Brian. We still push him," said Rene Siqueiros. "He doesn't want to see himself as different. He wants to see himself as a runner. He's out there to run. We'd better run with him or fall behind in the dust."
Knight feels the same.
"I do pretty well taking into account my arm," he said. "Sometimes I even forget that I have this brachial plexus injury. It completely slips my mind. Then I look out like, Oh, yeah, there's my arm.'
"No one makes me feel like I have a disadvantage or anything."
That concerned Knight when he struck upon a notice for the first Junior Olympics ambulatory race while scanning the Web one night.
"I wondered if I was injured enough," he said. "I was not exactly sure I would qualify for that type of race."
Organizers welcomed him, and he gave them good reason to invite him back. He finished second despite putting in little training for the short distance. Knight enjoyed the experience so much, he immediately began looking onto other ambulatory races. On Sunday, he'll race the USATF Cross Country Disability Championship in Long Island. A top finish will place him on the national paralympics team and qualify him for an international meet in Hungary.
Knight makes it clear that he won't sacrifice his team's success for these international excursions. Still, this is an exciting new adventure. And given his track record, there's no reason to believe he won't succeed.
"It has kind of given me this hunger that I want to win and be the best," he said. "The best I can and the best possible."