Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt hosted a special triathlon for children with special needs.
The "Tri My Best" triathlon Sunday morning had more than 60 athletes, ages 5 to 15, and included swimming, biking, and running.
Kids with special needs and disabilities were paired with other children to complete the event as a team.
"By working as a team, each child learns that winning is not at the end of the race, but in the journey getting there together," said Triathlon Director Kelley Newman.
Michael Sloan, age 8, was one of the athletes who crossed the finish line. Two years ago, he almost drowned in a pool while at a summer camp in Goodlettsville. He suffered brain damage from the incident and had to re-learn how to walk.
With the help of two buddies Sunday, Sloan floated 50 meters in the pool, biked one mile around the Vanderbilt Rec Center, and completed a .4 mile walk/run on the indoor track before walking across the finish line.
Michael's dad told NewsChannel 5 he wanted this event to teach others to never give up.
"The doctor's looked us right in the eye and told us, gave us worst case scenario, and we didn't give up, we just kept pushing," said P.J. Sloan. "We were told he would never come out of his coma, he would never so much as move a finger."
This is the first year Vanderbilt Children's Hospital has hosted the triathlon.
Click here for more information on the event.
