When former BYU track athlete Tammy Bowers realized in 2012 that traditional athletics might not be part of her young son’s future, she decided to create something new. At just two years old, her son had already undergone a heart transplant and faced numerous medical challenges. Wanting children like him to experience the joy of sports, Bowers reached out to BYU with an idea: pair collegiate athletes with children who have special needs for an adaptive track and field event.
That idea became the annual Courageous Kids Invitational, recently held at the Robison Track and Field Complex.
“These kids are the most courageous kids you’ll ever meet,” Bowers said. “They fight battles that we as adults can’t even imagine--and they fight them with a smile on their face.”
Bowers’s son, Landon Lion Bowers, was given the middle name “Lion” to represent courage and strength.
“A lion fights for survival,” said Lion Bowers. “Courageous Kids fills us with confidence, and these are some nice memories.”
For BYU track athlete Raygan Dimond, participating in the event is both energizing and inspiring.
“It’s a lot of fun to be able to give back to the community that supports us so much,” said Dimond. “To see the kids try all these things with no fear and know that they’re not going to do it perfectly, but they are still going to do it to the best of their abilities—that’s truly inspiring.”
