The Town of Wallingford was home to the 10th annual Gaylord Gauntlet 5k on Saturday– an event that celebrates adaptive athletes around the state.
Anthony Picchione, 21, was this year's featured adaptive athlete in the Gaylord Gauntlet 5k.
A race that takes runners through a number of obstacles, starting with a mud pit. Picchione says this obstacle didn't faze him in the slightest.
"I grew up racing dirt bikes so I did that from the time I was probably 4-years-old," said Picchione.
His father was a professional racer and Picchione had similar dreams. But in 2021, during one of his motocross competitions in Florida, he suffered a fall that paralyzed him from the waist down.
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"I was only 19-years-old at the time, so I was pretty down. You know, I just didn't really know what the rest of my life was going to look like," said Picchione.
Picchione spent six weeks at Gaylord Hospital where he worked with a team of physical therapists to improve his strength and mobility - and adapt to his wheelchair.
He ran the Gaylord Gauntlet for the first time on Saturday with his former physical therapists and brother by his side and his parents cheering him on.
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"I'm going to try not to cry. It's overwhelming, the progress he has made," said Deb Picchione, Anthony's mom.
Picchione's grandparents were also there in support.
"I've been on the verge of tears all day, all morning, since I got up. I'm so proud," said Peg Haller, Anthony's grandma.
"We just can't wait to watch him do this," said John Haller, Anthony's grandpa.
One year after his accident, Picchione was back on his bike. He found a way to do motocross adaptively through a non-profit in Colorado called Motodemption.
"There's nothing that you can't do now that you're hurt, and it might be a little different, but you can still do it and still live a pretty great life," said Picchione.
