The Mount Tabor senior has garnered national awards for her running success, and now she can increase national awareness of her condition.
Mount Tabor's Kayla Montgomery has already been the subject of quite a few media features here in North Carolina, both for her running success and for the remarkable story about the barriers she has overcome to achieve that success. Montgomery, who was disgnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) during her 9th-grade year, is now getting the opportunity to bring more attention and focus to the condition that she shares with over 2 million people world-wide. This is MS Awareness Week, and Kayla's story has been picked up by two national media outlets: first the New York Times, which featured her on today's front page, and then the TODAY show, which will likely feature her story tomorrow. Mount Tabor coach Patrick Cromwell told NCRunners that several other national outlets have contacted him in the wake of the Times story. In typical fashion, Montgomery has been humble and shy throughout the attention, her only goal being to raise awareness of the need for more research (there is currently no cure for MS, and many sufferers experience limited relief from existing therapies). Knowing the US media, this has been a sudden and somewhat disorienting trip for Kayla, as she gears up for her previously-scheduled trip to New York next week, where she will run the 5000 at New Balance Nationals Indoor.
For Runner With M.S., No Pain While Racing, No Feeling at the Finish (NY Times)
