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Grad student shouts his way through NYC marathon

Lievense ran as a guide for Tony Ward, a 50-year-old blind man from Ireland.

“It wasn’t as much wanting to do the New York City Marathon as it was wanting to help someone achieve their goal physically,” Lievense said.

Lievense and Ward met just hours prior to the race. The two were paired through an organization called Achilles International.

“The opportunity that I had was pretty cool, working with an organization who helps physically disabled people try to feel as normal and as empowered as possible,” Lievense said.

Although Lievense said he’s had experience working with the Special Olympics and organizing events for disabled athletes, he had never done anything similar to being a guide. He said he spent the 26.2 miles clearing a path for Ward by making sure nothing was in his way.

“Ethan was the one in front and he needed to be very proactive and vocal to make sure people got out of the way and he was super at that,” Ward said in an email.

“He worked so hard, basically shouting his way through 26 miles but always in a respectful way as other runners don’t always realize what is going on.”

Ward and his guides finished the race in 3 hours and 29 minutes, only 14 minutes past their goal time.

“I was quite proud to make it around in the time I did and for sure I emptied every ounce of energy out of my body on that day,” Ward said.

Coyte Cooper, Lievense’s sports marketing professor, said he heard about Lievense’s participation in the marathon through other students.

“He’s a great person,” Cooper said. “None of this he did for attention, I can promise you that. You know with him, he just wanted to go out and he loves running, he wants to impact people’s lives and he did that, and I think it’s really neat that people recognize that.”

Jeremy McMillan, a first-year in Lievense’s ultimate frisbee Lifetime Fitness class, said he was impressed by Lievense’s work with the race.

“I asked him about his Halloween plans and he was telling me he was going to be running with a blind person in the New York City Marathon, which I thought was awesome,” McMillan said.

Lievense said one of his dream jobs after graduating would be to work for the U.S. Paralympics.

“I look at the lives these people live and it’s just inspiring that they’re carrying out the life of an able-bodied person,” he said. “They’re no different than anyone else, they’re doing the same things. I want to be able to empower people like that, that have these physical disabilities.”

Cooper said he thinks Lievense’s personality would help him excel at working with disabled athletes.

“I know he’s mentioned that that’s something that he’s passionate about and I think if that’s what he decides he wants to do, he would be great at it,” Cooper said.

Lievense said his favorite parts of running the marathon were the teamwork involved in being a guide and getting to know Ward personally.

He has already signed up for next year’s race.

university@dailytarheel.com

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