Ari Tanghe
Ari Tanghe

In a way, distance runners create their own magic.
They pull miles and miles out of their hats, and in full stride, they make energy gels seemingly appear out of thin air. Dedicated runners are able to multiply race bibs like white rabbits (though many wish they could multiply those hard-to-come-by safety pins, too).

In one of their greatest acts, the mother/daughter running duo known as Team Ari, has figured out a way to make disabilities disappear.

Kelli Tanghe, and her 15-year-old daughter, Arianna, created Team Ari, all out of a simple desire to run together.

Up and Running

Born with cerebral palsy and being visually impaired, Ari endured numerous hospital visits and physical therapy appointments as a young child.

Kelli made a promise to herself through it all.

"I said, when she learns to walk independently, I'll learn to run," Kelli said.

In 2006, Ari started walking by herself, so Kelli laced up her sneakers extra tight, and got to running. Both mother and daughter got to experience a new way of getting around in their worlds.

With her husband, Michael, and her two oldest children, Lindsay and Nick, who were heavily involved in high school athletics, Kelli had some good support and motivation as she tipped her toes into the water. In fact, Nick paced her in her very first 5K.

Kelli enjoyed it so much that she stretched her legs into the world of half marathons, marathons, and even a couple of 50-mile ultra races. In her eyes, one of the real perks of running was being able to run with Lindsay and Nick.

"Nothing replaces the feeling of running with my kids," Kelli said.

The only problem was that because they didn't have the necessary equipment, Ari wasn't able to accompany her mom on the roads. However, she never let up on asking to go.

"Every time I went out on a run, she would say, 'When am I going to be able to run with you?'" Kelli said.

Disappearing Disability

Ari entered middle school in 2012, and it was a very difficult time for her.

"She wasn't able to keep up with her peer group," Kelli said. "She was becoming much more aware of her disabilities. We were trying to help her and figure out what she could do where she wouldn't have to sit on the sidelines anymore."

Despite not owning an adaptive running chair, Kelli wasn't going to wait until they could afford it, so she signed up for a 5K and pushed Ari in her wheelchair.

Serendipitously, the race benefited their local children's hospital -- where Ari had spent countless hours during her childhood.

"She loved it," Kelli said. "She had a sense of freedom that she hadn't had before. She put her arms up in a victory pose as we crossed the finish line, and immediately said, 'When can we race again?' as I was still catching my breath."

Right away, Kelli saw a change in Ari when she said, "Running makes my disability disappear."

Just like that, Ari was reborn. An initial birth characterized by some trauma paled to the triumphs found in running.

No Stopping Now

Because Ari loved running with her mom, she kept asking to go longer and longer distances.

An adaptive running chair was a must, so the family found room in the budget.

Two weeks after their 5K, they did a 10K.

"Then Ari said, 'Let's do a half marathon,'" Kelli said.

Within a month, the two crossed the finish line of their first half together.

"It wasn't that difficult," Kelli said. "It was easier than I thought it was going to be. Her enjoyment of it far outweighed any discomfort that I had."

Kelli and Ari talk about everything on their runs.

"She's a little chatterbug," Kelli said of Ari. "I say that running is our family therapy."

Because of her visual impairment, Ari is very auditory. She often sings her favorite songs as her mom pushes her, and she will even point out things that Kelli wouldn't normally hear or notice.

In 2013, Ari turned 13 years old, so Team Ari ran 13 half marathons between May and November.

The goal for this year is 15, for Ari's 15th birthday.

A Sport for All

Running has increased Ari's confidence level as well.

"She's not as shy in speaking to people anymore," Kelli said. "I think she's happier that she can participate in a sport as opposed to just watching or sitting passively on the sideline. I think she has much more social interactions because people approach her."

Spectators and other racers often tell Team Ari about their own stories of family and friends with cerebral palsy, or who are bound to a wheelchair.

"They ask, 'How can we do that too? How can we get our loved one involved?'"

That's another reason why Team Ari has no plans to stop anytime soon.

"Our purpose is to raise awareness that physically challenged athletes can be included in endurance events," Kelli said. "We would love to see it made easier for challenged athletes."

In February Kelli and Ari did a half marathon in San Francisco that had a physically challenged division for athletes.

"We were competing against different ages of challenged athletes, and that really helps individuals who are challenged in knowing that their accomplishments can be awarded too," Kelli said.

In early April, Ari won a challenged athlete grant that will enable her to get started on her next endurance quest: Completing a triathlon by the end of the summer.

Kelli plans on using the money to acquire a chair that can be towed by a bike, and then convert to an adaptive running chair.

Until then, they'll keep rolling along, letting the magic fill the air, all the way to the finish line -- which actually is just another start line for Team Ari.

Submitted by Anonymous


Inspiration
Pass It On®
Pass It On®

  email

Your Comments

Here are some other inspiring stories you might like.
PEACE
DANA W Grieving (Fly High Dana Wilson Jr.) On March 7, 2022 my only little brother passed away at home in his bed. This has been one of the hardest things to deal with. I dont think a day goes by that i dont find myself breaking down crying. I think my eyes are puffy did alot of crying yesterday..omg this is really...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
VISION
FRANCES P Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the fourth United States Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member of the Democratic Party, Perkins was the first woman ever to serve in a...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
BRAVERY
HARRIET TUBMAN Harriet Tubman freed 300 slaves she was so brave that is why she is my hero
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
COURAGE
WINSTON CHURCHILL Winston Churchill was a transformational leader who exemplifies courage and an absolute refusal to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Churchill had the ability to understand the needs of others, listen to those around him, and admit his mistakes while never wavering from his ultimate goal. ...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
CARING
TISH R My former wife is an amazing individual. She works as a behavior analyst, and has been helping injured others achieve a much greater quality of life. In one of my proudest specific memories, she facilitated a transition for a man who was in an ALF, brain-injured, from wearing diapers in a wheelchair to...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
HELPING OTHERS
SAWYER A. After learning about children and families in the poverty-stricken villages of Zambia; a country in south-central Africa, Sawyer Anderson wanted to help bring clean, safe water to the villagers. At age 9, Sawyer wrote and illustrated the book, Water Works, which is published in America, Vietnam (in Vietnamese)...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
KINDNESS
WENDY T Wendy was my wife of 4 years. We dated in high school, over 30 years ago. Eight years ago, we reconnected, and fell in love all over again. I quickly became attuned to why she was so special: Her kindness. I had never met anyone before, who showed as much kindness to everybody, as Wendy had. It wasn't one...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
LORI R. In 2012 Lori, along with her then high school age daughter Shira, began to keep their vehicle filled with pet supplies to hand out to the pets living on the streets of Riverside, CA with their homeless companions. They would give out pet food, leashes, collars and water so the pets would be fed well and kept...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
MENTORING
MISTY WELLS 5 Years ago Misty saw a need in children in Foster Care and she took action. For the past 5 years going strong Misty started a non profit called " A Reel Future" where she takes children in Group Foster Care fishing. She has single handed taken over 3,000 foster children fishing. She is showing them...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
A BETTER LIFE
MARC W My father immigrated to the US in the 1950s with his parents when he was a small boy. Holland was still recovering from the Second World War, and opportunities seemed limited. Adding to the economic challenges, my father was the product of a relationship that was scandalous for the time: my grandfather came from...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
BEING THERE
BK SAINI SAINI My husband helped me since he knew me since 1975. He is there for me every single day. He is so kind all the time. He took care of me during any need except not when he is at the job. He comes at home if any emergency arrives. For God’s grace he was never called till today. I still remember when our second baby...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
COMPASSION
CHARLIE SCHULZ My son, Charlie, was an inspiration to many during his 19 years on this earth. When Charlie was in 5th grade, despite what we learned later was severe social anxiety, their strong sense of what was right led them to circulate petitions among their 5th grade schoolmates and write and present a statement (through...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
WISDOM
JAHSEH O There are many heros I look up to, but Jahseh Onfroy helped me through the darkest times in my life. His music did not only help me but it helped countless people. When he spoke to us, it was always about growing and becoming better than what we are. I have learned many valuable lessons from him, and I constantly...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
CHARACTER
MARJORIE W Marjorie W. grew up in a logging town in the mountains where she was expected to marry and spend the rest of her life taking care of her parents. After World War II, she was able to go to college and change her life's path. Despite leaving her little town, she never lost her core values. She was an honest,...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
FAMILY
PAT C Next to his faith in God, the most important thing in my Dad’s life was his family; my Mom who was the love of his life, his kids, grandkids, great grandkids, brothers, and sisters. One of the ways he made life better for all of us and left his fingerprint on our lives was through the use of what I like to call...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
COMMUNITY
MATTHEW M Matt was a shining example of what it meant to be a good person. He devoted countless hours to volunteering in the arts and helping his community and even more to the people he loved. He was brilliant, kind, funny, comforting, generous, ambitious, loving, witty, and so many other wonderful words that I could not...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
Where did your values come from?

We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.

Tell Us Your Story All Everyday Hero Stories

We use cookies or similar technologies to process data when you visit our site. This data may relate to your use of our site, your preferences, your device, or other information about you. We and third parties may use this information for a variety of purposes, such as enabling the sites to function, to personalize your experience when using our sites, and for analytical purposes. Read our privacy policy and terms of use for details. close

Reject All Accept All