‘Like a miracle’

COSTA MESA — About five years ago, doctors told Mark Stier and his wife, Shannon, that their daughter, Kendall, would need a wheelchair daily because of her cerebral palsy.

But on Saturday, during a kids’ race at the OC Fair, for the OC Marathon, Kendall proved them all wrong.

The 8-year-old from San Clemente smiled as she completed about a half mile. When crossing the finish line, her friends and several others applauded and cheered. It was the first time, Kendall traveled such a distance without a walker.

With a bit of limp in her gait, a brace on each lower leg, Kendall appeared simply happy to be in the race.

“It was like a miracle,” Kendall said of running with her peers.

Two days before the race, the Stiers celebrated Kendall’s eighth birthday, but Saturday seemed to be a bigger party, a definite milestone for Kendall.

“It’s a big day for the Stier family,” Shanon Stier said. “When someone tells you that your kid is not going to do something, or when doctors say this is never going to happen for you, you have to change your mind-set. That’s what Kendall did. She changed her mind-set immediately. She just kept on pushing forward. She’s never plateaued. She has always gone up. They’ve been baby steps. It’s been slow, but she’s never quit.”

Kendall was one of 714 children who ran at the OC Fair, as part of the weekend festivities for today’s OC Marathon, in its fifth year. There were seven races, as kids took their strides running two laps around the Pacific Amphitheatre, about a 1K (0.62 miles).

The number of cameras seemed to outnumber the children. Parents draped over metal railings, trying to get their shot of their kid running in the race. The children scooted past with bibs displaying their number across their chests.

Gary Drossell of Laguna Niguel hugged his three sons all at once after they finished the race with the 8-year-olds, just before Kendall would dramatically cross the finish line.

Drossell, who has competed in two marathons, was fascinated to see his boys run and finish the race.

“I just wanted to get them healthy,” Drossell said of entering his sons Nicholas, 6, and 9-year-old twins Matthew and Andrew in Saturday’s races. “I wanted to get them used to being off the couch, get them outside and enjoy the weather.”

Olivia Loconsolo, a 10-year-old from San Juan Capistrano, certainly enjoyed the running. For the first time, she ran the 1K under 10 minutes. Like all of the children in the races, Oliva earned a medal.

“Very cool,” she said of her reward.

Kendall also had a medal draped around her neck, a symbol of a big-time accomplishment. She impressed many, including Doug Ingram, co-chairman of the OC Marathon.

“United Cerebral Palsy has a motto, which is ‘Life without Limits,’” Ingram said. “I think watching a person like this girl proves to people that you can do things that others wouldn’t envision you could do. She is very inspirational and it’s not just inspirational to people with cerebral palsy, but it should inspire everybody.”

The Stiers are planning to return to the kids’ races next year. They want to keep Kendall moving forward.

“It’s been a load for her,” Mark Stier said of his daughter. “Things that other kids can do just easily and naturally, she has had a hard time. She’s shown that if you work hard, there’s really nothing you can’t do.

“Next year, she’ll have goals that are bigger than this. God willing she’ll keep growing and doing it. She has a strong mind and a strong heart, so the rest will come into place.”

Overall winners 1K (0.62 miles)

Ages 13&14 – Taito Ozaki (Chino Hills), 5:29.

Ages 11&12 – Huber Martinez (Anaheim), 6:03.

Age 10 – Connor Butterfield (Foothill Ranch), 6:01.

Age 9 – Conrad Hampson (Laguna Niguel), 6:00.

Age 8 – Noah Hickman (Huntington Beach), 6:33.

Age 7 – Lenny Lara (Chino Hills), 6:55.

Age 6-and-under – Natalie Blackwelder (San Juan Capistrano), 7:28.

OC MARATHON

Today’s races:

Marathon and half-marathon – Starts at Fashion Island in Newport Beach at 6:30 a.m. Elite runners will finish marathon at about 8:30 a.m., half-marathon at around 7:15 a.m.

5K race walk — starts at OC Fair in Costa Mesa at 7:30 a.m. Elite runners finish around 7:45 a.m.

For road closure information and parking directions visit www.oc marathon.com/parking. php.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at [email protected].