JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tim Houston knows the only way to cross a finish line is taking one step at a time. It's what has gotten this nine-year-old amputee through four races. "People that have a challenge like that can't sit on the sidelines. He wants to live as normal life as possible," said Tim's father, Jim Houston.
Houston lost his leg when he was just 21-days old, but he hopes to finish his first 5K with the help of a new prosthetic. Every Sunday he trains at the University of North Florida to do it. "He probably started out only doing three quarters of a mile. And now he can get up to two miles," said Jim.
Houston is not running this race alone. Two University of North Florida students stand next to him every step of the way. They are physical therapy majors who are also learning with every lap. "It's able to let us implement what we learn in school and apply it out on the track," said UNF student, David Eldridge.
The trio will compete together in the First Coast Kids Triathlon in May. "It makes you feel like anything in this world is achievable," said Jim.
"Follow your goals, and don't let anyone set you back. It's mind over matter really," UNF said student Cameron Johnson.
It's another medal for a child who knows it all begins with a single step.
Every year 1,700 kids participate in the First Coast Kids Triatholon. You can register your child
here.
