The Extra Mile: History Teacher Runs Marathon to Inspire Student
America’s history and civics teachers are always willing to go the extra mile to help their students succeed.
But Tracey Downey, a Bill of Rights Institute professional development instructor who teaches history in Polk County, Florida, took things a bit farther.
She went 26.2 extra miles for a student.
And by facing her fear and completing a marathon, Downey delivered a powerful lesson on character, commitment, and overcoming adversity.
Downey’s amazing story started in 2015, when a student named Madison was facing anxiety about the upcoming Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Madison needed to pass the test to graduate, but had struggled with it previously.
That’s when Downey had a heart-to-heart talk with Madison about facing and overcoming fears.
“She asked me what I was afraid of, and I said I’d always been afraid of running a marathon,” Downey said.
A deal was soon struck. If Madison overcame her fear and passed the FCAT, Downey would lace up her sneakers and run a marathon.
Madison left the conversation inspired and got to work. And pretty soon, Downey was putting in plenty of work herself.
Madison passed the FCAT at the start of the following school year, leaving Downey four months to train for the January 2016 Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando.
“I knew she’d be waiting for me at the finish line,” Downey said. “So I was going to do this.”
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The sports network ESPN actually covered Downey’s participation in the marathon (and made her run a little extra to get the footage they needed). But at the 23-mile mark, disaster nearly struck.
Downey heard a “pop” and ended up suffering an injury to her Achilles tendon.
“I told myself, ‘I can’t stop,’” Downey said. “I walked, cried and jogged the last few miles.”
Ultimately, both Downey and Madison finished their races. Downey overcame her fear of running a marathon, and Madison graduated from high school.
And while it’s been six years since her marathon, Downey and teachers like her never stop going the extra mile for students. It’s what Downey calls an “everyday mindset.”
In addition to the history classes she teaches, Downey is inspiring students as a cheerleading coach both for her high school and for the Special Olympics.
And now, as a professional development instructor for the Bill of Rights Institute, Downey is helping to educate and empower other teachers.
“You always have to remember what we mean to these kids,” she said. “Some of them, when they’re 40 or 50 years old, are going to remember us and what they learned from us.”