HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE FIND COMMUNITY ON THE TRACK

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree James Gunn. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

James Gunn remembers what it’s like to be a kid with a disability. That’s why he’s helping children with disabilities find a space that lets them feel seen. An avid runner with cerebral palsy, James was introduced to Fast Feet, an organization that provides adaptive running programs for children and young adults with developmental differences and physical disabilities by partnering with schools and communities. From his first day volunteering, James knew he was in the right place. The group works with kids aged 5 up to young adults, allowing them to get some exercise and build a sense of community on the track. As an adaptive coach, James provides support to more than 200 athletes of all ability levels. But fellow volunteers have noted that he goes above and beyond for the participants, delivering medals to athletes who miss final practices, creating special awards to make them feel special and personally purchasing adaptive equipment that could help them thrive even further.

Off the track, James is always advocating for Fast Feet’s well-being. To expand the Brooklyn program into the winter months, he secured an indoor space and donated the rental fee himself. He worked with the NYC Parks Department to ensure equitable track access during an expansion to Staten Island and reached out to the NYPD to resolve safety issues at a local track. It’s no surprise that James recently joined the organization’s board.

James is exceedingly proud to know that over 80% of Fast Feet’s athletes return each season. That number is likely due to the accepting and motivational environment that James and his fellow volunteers have curated, which allows a wide range of children to participate in athletics. Overall, James says one of the greatest lessons of his story is that you don’t have to be a professional at whatever you’re volunteering for. In the same way that you don’t have to be a runner to be a track coach, you don’t have to be the best at whatever you are volunteering to do to get started and volunteer. His story is a powerful example of how a little bit of willingness can create a world full of good.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I have a disability myself. Growing up, I didn’t really have a space to do team-sanctioned things, so when I heard about this through a friend whose son was participating in the program, I went down and I volunteered. I thought it was so cool. That was five and a half years ago.

What inspires you to volunteer?

I think recognizing that whatever spot you’re in, there’s always somebody out there who could use help or support. If you have the resources, or the time, or the energy, or whatever it is to help somebody else along on the journey, that’s worth the time.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Fast Feet NYC.

Each week, we lead a track program at a local high school. We’ll work on some running skills, a lap around the track or two laps or a mile. We work on some agility drills to get kids using muscles and body parts that they’re maybe not accustomed to, and then we’ll adapt it based on that child’s specific needs. If they don’t have the range of motion to do XYZ, we will find a creative way to have them do a similar activity. At the end, there’s a stretching circle. We have kids volunteer and show off stretches or skills that they’ve learned and then we do a team cheer. We are actually year-round, because we started a winter program. This gives kids an opportunity every Wednesday to just come out, learn a little bit about track and being a part of a team, but it’s also a great social opportunity for them, and they’re able to make friends and connections with folks outside of just the kids in their class.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

I just joined the board in January, and we’ve been thinking about how to successfully scale beyond just New York. We have a couple of pilot programs in Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit and Miami, but obviously, there are kids with disabilities in all 50 states. What we’ve created with Fast Feet is a pretty low-budget, easy-to-replicate kind of programming in terms of curriculum development. It’s really just finding a space that will host you. With the people, it’s kind of like the “if you build it, they will come” expression. All of our newer programs now have a wait list, because there are so many folks who are interested in participating, which is a great problem they have. We know we’re crushing it with parts of New York, but there’s a whole country out there that could benefit from a pretty scalable model of inclusive athletics.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

I think for me, it’s the fact that there’s a good cohort of kids who started the program when I started five years ago, and they keep coming back. Part of it is because they’ve started to enjoy running, which is great, but they’ve also made meaningful friendships. I think that’s the combination of those two.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I would say number one is don’t be afraid to volunteer. Put yourself in a role that you’ve not been in before. I never coached anything, but you learn as you go, and there are folks along the way who will help you in that journey. So don’t be like, ‘Oh, I’m not super great at this.’ I would say, in the course of the five years, there have been moments where I really didn’t want to go out to the track because it’s cold and I’m tired of wearing sweats. Just reminding myself what it’s all about at the end of the day and how much the kids appreciate it, so that I don’t lose the true meaning behind why I’m doing what I’m doing.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

I think there’s just really so much need in the world outside of people’s little bubbles, whether that’s food insecurity or mental health support or our space to be physically active. Everybody, even myself, needs support along the journey of life. Everybody knows somebody, and there’s a way that you can help that person. Everybody needs a little help.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

I would say to find things that you’re interested in and then find people who are in that space. Learn how they got there and make those connections. For instance, I got plugged into Fast Feet through a church organization. There are a ton of community-based organizations or groups that are doing work. In New York, we have a program called NYC Service, which actually does volunteer matching for folks who are interested in serving New York. That’s a great tool that I think also some other larger cities have.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like James? Find local volunteer opportunities.