A resilient suburban Chicago teen born without arms plans to take part in the Chicago Triathlon.
Timothy Bannon, 14, of Hillside, caught the internet’s attention in July when he accomplished a 20-inch box jump.
“Since this is my first triathlon, I’m legit terrified,” Bannon said. “I’m like super fired up for it.”
Bannon and his mother, Linda, both were born without arms, due to a genetic disorder called Holt-Oram syndrome.
Timothy Bannon, along with both of his parents, have spent five days a week this summer preparing for the triathlon.
While Timothy plans to race on Saturday in the Kids’ Triathlon, his parents will compete on Sunday as part of a Dare2tri relay team.
The non-profit Dare2tri works to impact the lives of athletes with physical disabilities by helping them prepare for paratriathlons, according to its website.
Local
Former NBC 5 Sports Anchor and NFL player Mike Adamle recently paid a visit to the Bannon family.
Adamle was diagnosed with dementia, which doctors attributed to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that has been detected in more than 100 former NFL players.
Adamle, who is also an accomplished triathlete himself, plans to bike and run with his team in the Chicago Triathlon.
“It’s not about you racing everybody here,” Adamle said. “It’s about the race with yourself.”
Along Adamle and the Bannons, around 10,000 other triathletes will swim, bike and run their way to the finish line.
After the race, Timothy hopes to try out for a kicker spot on his high school’s football team.
