Miracle Field at Olsen Park is a place where David Morrison can simply be himself. Morrison, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, is accustomed to facing physical barriers. But during the course of each one-hour baseball game he has played in his four seasons in The Miracle League of Wilmington, he can forget about the physical and emotional challenges of accessibility.
“For that hour, I get the chance to be myself,” said Morrison, a coach and player, but also a member of the Miracle League board of directors. “I’m not a board member at the time that the games are going. I’m just me. I’m David Morrison in those moments, and that in itself is really nice, to just be able to let go and not think about other aspects of life.”
For more than 100 people of all ages and abilities, the Miracle League offers an opportunity to shed concerns and celebrate their potential, an experience Morrison described as invigorating.
“It’s extremely rewarding to … be able to go out there every week and witness the smiles on players’ faces, the energy that is invoked by being able to come to a place where there aren’t real physical barriers, in a place for people to gather and socialize,” Morrison said.
Whether hosting Miracle League baseball games or the annual Miracles in Motion Run, Walk, and Roll 5k fundraiser that supports the league, the focus for all athletes who enter the American Disability Association-approved rubber turf facility is on ability, not disability, said Miracle League Executive Director Jennifer Bell.
“Even if you have a disability, you still have an ability, and we really try to celebrate those abilities that people have, and try to not focus on the fact that they have a disability,” Bell said.
The all-inclusive and completely accessible Miracles in Motion race, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28 at Miracle Field, drew more than 250 participants for the inaugural event in 2014. For the second year, Bell said she hopes to bring 500 people to the field, not only to raise money, but to also raise awareness about the league, the field and the adjacent Miracle Playground, the largest wheelchair-accessible playground in the state.
Whether running, walking or rolling the timed 5k or the untimed 1-mile race, all participants begin in the parking lot and finish at the Miracle Field’s home plate, where a crowd gathers to applaud each finisher. More than 50 awards will be doled out to 5k participants during an awards ceremony following the race, and all participants will receive a medal for finishing.
“We want everybody to feel empowered and successful,” Bell said. “This is a huge feat for people with disabilities. Many times, they don’t think they can run or roll or walk in a race, but the fact that they finish it, that gives them a sense of accomplishment that’s incomparable. We want to truly celebrate that when they finish.”
Morrison, who completed the 2013 race and plans to participate again this year, said empowering is the best word to describe how he felt when he crossed the finish line last year.
“It’s exhilarating. It’s inspiring,” Morrison said. “It’s just amazing to be able to roll down that final stretch, to get to home plate and finish.”
For more information or to register for the race, visit http://its-go-time.com/miracles-in-motion-2015/
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