On June 5, Cunningham claimed first place in the 100, 200 and 400 meters at the Adult Wheelchair National Championships in Saginaw, Mich.
The 39-year-old was handicapped as an infant after a house fire in Ireland. Since then he has proven he is an athlete despite his carbon fiber wheels.
“People keep saying you can’t do stuff,” Cunningham said. “I don’t use the word ‘can’t’ very often.”
Cunningham lived in England, then in Canada before landing in America, following his father’s job. Along the road he picked up a passion. Cunningham has been ranked No. 1 in relays, No. 3 in the 100 meters, held world records, been top 10 in the 200 and 400 meters and was a member of the Canadian national paralympic team for 14 years.
He is shooting for a spot on the 2012 American paralympic team in London. It would mark his third Olympics. He finished fourth in the 100 and 200 meters and fifth in the 400 at the World Trials in June.
He also conducts YMCA training center day camps where he teaches children how to ride bikes and run.
“I know a lot about running because I’m on a track in road racing,” Cunningham said. “They are a little skeptical that a guy in a wheelchair can teach kids how to ride a bike.
“If it’s got wheels I can make it go. Kids ask if I’m the bike guy, and I just say, ‘Yep I’m the bike guy.’ ”
Another Cunningham accomplishment was the formation and coaching of the Wright State wheelchair team. He said he gets a rush from competing against 19- and 20-year-old racers.
“It’s a good feeling because I’m not fully ready and I can hang with these kids,” he said.
In his words
"When I first started, a lot of racers were Vietnam vets. Now it's a lot of Iraq vets. It takes 3-4 years to realize you are disabled and move on to a different step of life. A lot of guys on the team today are Army guys. That's what they did. Now they are injured and trying to represent the country in a different way.
"I like it when I pass people on the bike paths and I can hear them changing gears behind me. I'm like, 'You have to change gears to keep up with me?' That's pretty sad. I'm only using my arms and they are using their legs with gears.
"You don't see many able-bodied runners that train for a 100 and then run a marathon (something Cunningham has done 40 times). In wheelchairs we do it all the time.
"I've had 13 major concussions, dislocated my shoulder, broken bones in my wrists and my thumbs and knuckles. We draft just like NASCAR, I had a guy bump into me and flip me over on to a curb one time.
"I'm just like an able-bodied athlete. Wheelchairs don't get treated the same way and I'm not sure why. I'm trying to head a movement for us to get out there more in the open and involved. We need equal opportunities for sponsorships and they should see the value of a disabled person representing them."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0744 or abutler@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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