Name? Mark McCowan
Where do you live ? Bucks County, PA
How long have you been involved with Achilles Philadelphia? I have been involved with Achilles Philadelphia since March of 2013.
How did you find out about Achilles International? I found out about Achilles International through the director of Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports of Philadelphia. I asked the director if he knew of any running groups that assisted visually-impaired runners and he referred me to Melissa Wilcox.
When did running become a part of your life? When I stepped away from teaching in an elementary classroom, running became an integral part of my life.
What do you gain from running? Running allows me to eat, eat, and eat! Running opens opportunities to meet other amazing runners. Ultimately, running makes me feel ALIVE!
What is your favorite distance to run? My favorite distance to run: I do not have one. I like to run distances between 6 and 13 miles.
What is your most significant accomplishment to date? My goal is to always achieve a PR (Personal Record/Best) while at the same time enjoying the journey from start to finish.
What is your most significant accomplishment to date? My most significant accomplishment to date is completing my very first marathon in Philadelphia in November of 2014. The memorable journey was filled with excitement, laughter, painful foot aches, and personal gratification. My amazing guides (Abby, Ali, David, Jessica, Stacy, and Tyrrell) were my true heroes!
Who/what is your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is ordinary people who do extraordinary things. When I see fellow challenged athletes or friends accomplish their personal goals, I am compelled to fulfill my own dreams.
What quality best describes your personality? A quality that best describes my personality is easy going! No matter how tough or miserable I am feeling during a run, I try to always smile, especially when my guides tell me to smile at the cameras!
What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time? During my spare time I enjoy gardening; the task of designing and arranging a variety of flowers to show off their brilliant colors from spring to fall.
What is your favorite quote? “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” Booker T. Washington
What is your disability/impairment? Visually impaired
What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter? A strength I bring to the Achilles Philly chapter is that I am an able-body athlete who is visually-impaired and partly-deaf (Usher’s Syndrome) and is committed to sustaining a lifelong journey of reaching and achieving new goals.
What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts? The motivation that keeps me coming back to the chapter workouts is simply being surrounded by others who consistently want the same desire to taste the agony and glory of accomplishing a goal.
If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Achilles Philadelphia what would it be? Philly Achilles IS the “Eye of the Tiger.” Our family oriented community rises up to the weekly challenge of our rivals. When we hit the pavement, our athletes and guides run with guts, glory, and the will to go the distance. In the spirit of team work, our teams hang tough and stay hungry till we reach the top. Each one of us runs to kill with the skill to survive the hills. All the while, Melissa, our prez, watches us all with the “eye” of the tiger.