Learning Courage from Resilient Kids

“It’s usually right during peak season,” says BYU runner Raygan Peterson. “As athletes with no time and lots of stress and pressure, taking hours out of our day seems like it’s only going to make things worse. If you go once, though, you realize that it’s more than worth it.” Sprinter Garrett Copelin adds, “I had heard from teammates that it was one of their favorite events of the whole year. Within minutes of the event beginning, I understood why!”

What event could leave such a lasting impression? It’s the Courageous Kids Invitational, an adaptive track and field experience for—you guessed it—some very courageous kids.

Tammy Bowers, a former BYU pole vaulter, was inspired to found the meet after her son Landen was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. There wasn’t an existing space where Landen could feel the joy of track and field, so Bowers decided to make one. “I messaged my old coaches here at BYU with this idea that I had,” she says.

Now held annually on campus, the Courageous Kids Invitational welcomes children with any medical condition that limits their ability to participate in a typical athletic setting—from congenital heart disease to spina bifida to autism spectrum disorder. Siblings are also welcome to join. Events include the 100m, 200m, 400m, mile, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, and javelin.

Each Courageous Kid is paired with a BYU student-athlete, who helps adapt the events to the child’s specific abilities. “The BYU student-athletes really make this event what it is. They will carry kids on their shoulders. They will push wheelchairs through the finish line,” says Bowers. “I’ve even seen them lift up a wheelchair and put it in the sand at the long jump so that that kid didn’t miss out on any event.”

With the support of the student volunteers, Courageous Kids get to run faster and jump higher than they imagined they could. “These kids are flying,” says Bowers. Johnita Mitchell, mom of a Courageous Kid, says it gives each child the opportunity to feel like they’re “a real athlete out here running with these real athletes.” Bowers’s son Landen attests, “It fills us with confidence.”

And yet the BYU participants feel just as lucky. “Many people have [student-athletes] set up as heroes because they can do these amazing things on the cross country pitch or on the track,” says Ed Eyestone, director of BYU track and field. But having seen the spirit and positivity of the Courageous Kids, he says, “I think they truly are the heroes.”

Student volunteers find they have a lot to learn from the kids. Peterson admires them for trying the various events, seemingly fearlessly, knowing “they’re not going to do it perfectly, but they’re still going to do it to the best of their abilities.”

James Corrigan, a student-athlete and 2024 Olympian, adds, “Sport as a whole is just all about beating your physical side and mentally being able to push through things. . . . I’m inspired by how they’re able to not only overcome their physical limitations but also just to have a huge mental capacity to do the things they do.”

While student-athletes are familiar with pushing limits, watching Courageous Kids do so while carrying a backpack of medical equipment or pulling an oxygen tank behind them offers new perspective. Bowers explains, “When [student-athletes] see that their talent is a gift, I think they appreciate that gift so much.” That realization, she believes, “makes them better athletes.” And the volunteers discover that those gifts can be used for more than personal success—they can bring light into others’ lives. “The joy from the kids and their families is contagious,” says BYU runner Maddy Taggart. “And it puts into perspective how much bigger track and field can be than just competing for yourself.”

The event also allows attendees to witness God’s love for each child and to feel a portion of that love themselves. Bowers says, “I can feel His love as I see the smiles and the joy [of] these kids who have gone through so much.” As a volunteer, Copelin has been paired with the same family each year he’s participated. He shares, “We have developed a lifelong friendship because of this event. You can’t help but feel so much of God’s love for them.”

The invitational concludes with a medal ceremony. All celebrate as each child receives a custom medal and the opportunity to stand on the podium. “It’s like a heavenly track meet,” says Kassie Moen, mom of a Courageous Kid. She explains that the participating children aren’t there only to compete. “Yes, they’re trying to cross the finish line and maybe they want to be first, but they’re just as excited for the kid next to them,” she says.

By the end of the invitational, everyone feels like a winner. Courageous Kids head home with boosted confidence and joyful memories; student volunteers leave inspired to serve more, celebrate others’ successes, and face challenges with courage. “This is exactly what God put us on the earth for,” Peterson reflects. “He put us here to lift each other, cheer each other on, and work together.”