WASHINGTON 鈥� Savannah Williams, of Spencerville, Maryland, doesn鈥檛 talk as much as most 13-year-old girls, but she says more with her feet than most teenagers can express.
鈥淚 like to run,鈥� she whispers, as the bevy of medals she鈥檚 earned from finishing races since she was a little kid clang all over.
It鈥檚 a soft voice, filled with courage and determination.
Savannah was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder that affects a person intellectually and, especially, physically.
鈥淚 remember almost 13 years ago, the doctors told me that she would never be able to walk and talk,鈥澛爃er mother, Shameen Anthanio-Williams,聽said.
Savannah runs mile-long races, sometimes even a 5K. Her determination has her mother preparing to run the Marine Corps Marathon in an effort to raise money for .
鈥淭hey provide programs for young girls in elementary school and middle school, and through these programs they train twice a week,鈥� Anthanio-Williams said. 鈥淭hey train for a 5K, and also have lessons during the week on confidence building, on learning about themselves, self-esteem.鈥�
Savannah started in the program a few years ago.
鈥淚 thought it was just such a great program I had to support it. Any program that provides lessons on self-esteem, on confidence building, I think is a great program for our girls.鈥�
Even though doctors said Savannah would never walk, much less run, she鈥檚 even been able to help her mom train for this race.
鈥淪he鈥檒l come out and run with me for the short runs,鈥� Anthanio-Williams said.
She says she鈥檚 using a basic marathon training program.
鈥淚 do short runs during the week; I also do some track work, and then during the weekends is when I do my long runs.鈥�
It鈥檚 those short runs with Savannah that motivated her mother to put herself through some 鈥済ruesome鈥� training for the longest run she鈥檒l ever go on.
鈥淪he鈥檚 the wind beneath my wings,鈥� Anthanio-Williams said. 鈥淭o see her go out and do things that the doctors or her diagnosis says that she cannot do really builds my own confidence, and makes me know that if my daughter can do it I can do it.鈥�
鈥淚 see her out there running races; I see her in the classroom doing her best to learn the math and the reading and all the assignments that are given her. So if she can do it I can do it. This program Girls On The Run 鈥� empowers our young girls. It did it for her. I say, 鈥榃hy not support it?鈥� And so that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 doing it.鈥�
Anthanio-Williams is raising funds through .
