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Runner With Down Syndrome One of First to Finish NYC Marathon

A runner in her 30s went down in history as one of the first women with Down syndrome to complete the New York City Marathon last weekend. In an exclusive interview with People , Kayleigh Williamson, 33, and her mother…

Rebecca Guzel·Nov 8, 2023·2 min read

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A runner in her 30s went down in history as one of the first women with Down Syndrome to complete the New York City Marathon last weekend.

In an exclusive interview with People, Kayleigh Williamson, 33, and her mother Sandy Williamson, 56, who ran alongside her on Nov. 5, opened up about the 10-hour, 9-minute run.

“New York changed the way I saw my daughter. Every time she heard music she stopped to dance,” Sandy Williamson explained.

She added, “It was very emotional for her at the end, the last two miles.”

Sandy Williamson also spoke about her daughter’s determination to finish the run.

She continued:

“But then someone turned up music on their phone and she would dance a little. Then she would cry. Her muscles were sore and they were bothering her. Things like that. But Kaylee didn’t stop. She didn’t want to give up.”

Kayleigh Williamson got emotional as she recalled her experience, referring to herself as a “diva.”

“The whole race I was always fixing my hair. I did a victory dance at the finish line,” the Texas native shared.

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According to People, this wasn’t the first time she completed a marathon. Kayleigh Williamson also ran 21 miles of the Austin Marathon, the Boston Marathon, and 20 half-marathons.

During the interview, Sandy Williamson revealed how Kayleigh Williamson’s running journey began in 2017.

“It was at about the same time my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” she explained. “So I implemented some healthy lifestyle choices. We just started running and I was already running and Kayleigh wanted to do some races with me.”

She continued, “My mom used to tell us she escaped from the nursing home and had traveled to all these places like California and Colorado. So what we started doing was finding races in those states to turn her temporary memory into permanent ones.”

Additionally, Sandy Williamson said her daughter “would take her medal back” to show her grandmother.

Now, Kayleigh Williamson and Sandy Williamson are training to run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, and half-marathons in December, January, and February.

“I like to run because it makes me feel happy,” Kayleigh Williamson said.