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Sports

One of Mableton 5K's Biggest Winners Didn't Run

Local woman doesn't allow her disability to slow her down.

The inaugural Mableton 5K run kicked off without a hitch, drawing more than 300 racers from around the Metro Atlanta area. The first finishers completed the run in under 20 minutes time; however, the most courageous racer in the field finished nearly two hours later with a sideline of bystanders cheering her on.

Dena Gaylor, a resident of Mableton, entered in the wheelchair class of the race. It wasn't her first, and if you ask her, it surely won't be her last.

"I've done a lot of races before,Β  including the Gate River Run (formerly Jacksonville River Run) 15K, the nation's largest." said Gaylor.Β  She pointed out that this race had the most hills, which made it a little tougher.

Gaylor was diagnosed at an early age with Cerebral Palsy (CP), but has refused to allow the condition to keep her from achieving her goals. She is a graduate of Valdosta State University, with bachelor's and master's degrees. in sociology. Additionally, she was crowned Miss Georgia Wheelchair 2000. She also studies Karate, scuba dives and participates in a number of other sports.

She told South Cobb Patch, "Of all the things I have done, the toughest thing I've tried to do is find employment in this economy."

Gaylor is a national advocate for disabled persons and truly believes more could be done for the disabled if people and companies knew what they needed.

To find out more about Dena Gaylor, you can click HERE.

To find out more about how to help those with disabilities, click HERE.

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