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Chris Koch was born without limbs, but this did not stop him from rolling up to multiple marathons around the globe on a longboard and completing them.
The adaptive athlete from Canada, who is also a farmer and a motivational speaker, has participated in 22 races to date — the most recent of which was this year's Standard Chartered Singapore half-marathon on Saturday (Dec 6).
Chris will also take part in the full marathon on Sunday, bringing the tally to 23.
In an interview with AsiaOne, the 46-year-old said that he was excited to be in Singapore and participate in a marathon here for the first time.
He was joined by his girlfriend Carlie, who was running in a half-marathon for the first time.
"I really didn't care how long it took me to finish the marathon," Chris said, adding that this event was more about supporting her as she achieved a personal best.
Just two weeks ago, he completed an 8km race with his nephew in Philadelphia, US, as well as a half-marathon with a girl who lost her leg in an accident.
"Those ones, and this one with Carlie, are actually more special than the ones by myself — because you're there for somebody else and not yourself," Chris told AsiaOne.
Besides showing others support in marathons, the adaptive athlete also reconnected with Carlie while he was participating in one.
According to him, the pair had dated back in elementary school, then lost touch over the years.
But their paths crossed once more at the Calgary Marathon in May this year, where Carlie was volunteering.
The couple has been going strong since then.
'We're all capable of doing amazing things'
Despite his disability, Chris chooses to take a lighthearted, humourous approach to life.
In fact, on the day he was born, his grandmother commented that his father "never finished what he started".
"That was the best start to life ever," the 46-year-old said.
"I've used humour my whole life, constantly joking around and having fun. You have frustrating days, so if you can try and flip it... laugh at yourself, laugh at the situation, life doesn't seem quite so heavy," he added.
Chris then recounted an encounter he had with a few runners during a marathon in Washington DC which summed up his personality perfectly.
"I was [going] downhill... kind of cruising, and there was a group of guys who asked 'how much for a ride on the board?' I said 'That'll cost you an arm and a leg'," he said while chuckling.
Chris also lives by the motto "If I can", which he said has two definitions for him.
"If I can — without arms and legs — do marathons, work on the farm, travel the world, [then] we're all capable of doing some pretty amazing things," he said.
The second way of looking at the motto is about using your own experience as motivation, Chris explained. Think of something that you have managed to do in your own life that you thought you wouldn't be able to accomplish.
"I did this one thing that I never thought I'd be able to do. So if I can do that, I've got this," he said.
When asked what keeps him going, Chris replied: "I love life. I love having fun. I love doing things like this."
"The reactions I get from people on the marathon course or in writing," he said, recounting how someone had reached out to him on social media to thank him for inspiring them to keep going while they felt like giving up during a race.
"I could have millions of followers and be famous, and it wouldn't mean a thing if it's not making the right impact," he added.
bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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