College View Middle School 7th-grader Peyton Howard is the newest member of the Vikings track team – and the newest member of Team Karlie.
Team Karlie was designed to allow students with physical disabilities to experience the excitement of athletic competition by providing special racing wheelchairs that are pushed by other runners. The project was named for Karlie Hempel, whose first race was a 5K in which she and Miller “teamed up” with a special running stroller that was purchased by donations from BMS students and staff members. Team Karlie was featured on the Katie Couric Show in 2014.
Team Karlie was created in 2009 by Jeff Miller, who was then a health room technician at Burns Middle School, along with Amanda Owen, who was a special services teacher at BMS and is now the executive director of Puzzle Pieces.
Howard will compete in three events at his first race on April 28 on the CVMS track. The meet begins at 4:30 p.m. and he will compete in the 100-meter dash, 400-meter dash, and the 4×800 meter relay. In addition, Howard has accepted an invitation to compete with the CVMS cross-country team this fall.
“We are blessed to have Peyton as a member of our team,” said CVMS track coach Geoff Snyder. “Peyton is such a warm-hearted person who lights up a room when he enters it.”
Peyton’s racing stroller will be pushed by 6th-grader Brayden Duke, who competes in the shot put and discus events. In explaining why Duke was chosen for this honor, Snyder said, “Braden exemplifies the highest ideals of a Viking and sets a positive example for all those around him.”
CVMS interim principal Jeff Wethington said sports and team membership are valuable experiences for any student in middle school.
“Many Viking family members are eager to witness Peyton on the CVMS track team,” Wethington said. “Heartfelt thanks to Jeff Miller for reaching out to Coach Snyder and being an advocate for students. Coach Snyder responded exactly as I thought he would – with open arms, emphatically welcoming Peyton to the team. I am proud of the long-term example Peyton will create for current and future students at College View Middle School.”
