Student Andy Bryant beats personal best in Boston Marathon
Shoreline
Community College
student and Special Olympian, Andy Bryant, ran the Boston Marathon on April
16th, completing the 26.2 mile race in just over three hours. The 25
year-old beat
his personal best by nearly three minutes, placing 1,372nd out of
more than 20,000 runners. This is Bryant’s fourth marathon; he ran his first in
1999.
The determined young athlete broke a record in the October 2005 Portland City Marathon, completing the race in just three hours, 18 minutes and 38 seconds. The prior record for the winner in the Special Olympic Division was three hours, 38 minutes.
Bryant has competed in Special Olympics races locally, taking first place in every 5,000– and 10,000 meter races he has run. He has also been selected to go to China this fall for the Special Olympics. At the College, he runs with the Running Club when his schedule permits.
He began taking classes at Shoreline CC in January of 2005 as a Community Integration Program (CIP) student. The CIP is a branch of the Office of Special Services that serves adults with developmental disabilities. He has found his niche in the Art Department and is currently pursuing a Certificate of Proficiency with the help of Prof. Bruce Amstutz. Bryant, whose passion is creating sculpture and 3-D design, is planning on completing the program by the end of the year.
“Andy really knows what he wants,” says Rosemary Dunne, program manager of the Community Integration Program. “He is very determined and goes for it – whatever it is. He is just such a self-starter.” Dunne says that the entire art faculty have been very supportive of Bryant.
Bryant was featured in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and on KING 5 and KONG on April 16th.
