Special Olympics athlete to compete in State Summer Games after running Boston Marathon
Borst was the first Special Olympics Michigan athlete to compete in the Boston Marathon
Special Olympics athlete Julian Borst's love for running and competing led him from middle school sports to the 2019 Boston Marathon.
The 22-year-old Kalamazoo native said he first fell in love with running in middle school when he joined the cross country team.
"What drew me to running was the feeling it gave me," he said. "It just feels good. It also takes me places, like new cities and new races, and gets me friendships and relationships."
Although he loves the sport, there were times when Borst struggled to become motivated.
"Sometimes it was hard for me to get out the door because I didn't feel like running, but I forced myself to and now it just comes naturally."
Borst joined Special Olympics in December 2016. He competed in snowshoeing after a friend suggested it.
"I first heard it from a friend of mine who was a power lifter and it sounded like fun and I wanted to (compete in) running," he said. The person who signed him up suggested he try snowshoeing to stay active during the winter. Now he competes in cross-country skiing in the winter and track in the summer.
This summer, Borst competed at the Special Olympics Michigan Summer Games in Mount Pleasant. He competed in the 5K, along with the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter races.
Borst came out of the games with four gold metals around his neck. He finished the 5K in 17 minutes, 4.05 seconds, the 400-meter dash in 1 minute, 4.21 seconds, the 800-meter in 2 minutes, 30.78 seconds and the 1500 meter in 4 minutes, 43.83 seconds.
He said his favorite race to run is the 5K.
"The longer, the better," he said. "I have better form and technique and I usually (get a) Personal Record on the longer runs."
Just two months ago on April 15, Borst tackled his biggest race yet - running in the Boston Marathon.
Borst was one of five Special Olympic athletes to run this year and was the first ever Special Olympics Michigan athlete to run in the marathon. He crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 8 minutes. To prepare for the race, Borst set up a training schedule that would track his workouts and milage.
The Boston Marathon was Borst's third time running a 26.2-mile course, but it still posed some challenges for him.
"The course a little rough because there was a lot of hills and it was raining, but the crowds were amazing," he said. "Overall, it was really fun and a great experience."
He plans to compete in another marathon this fall and wants to tackle the Boston Marathon again next year.
The state summer games is the largest Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) event each year with approximately 3,000 athletes. To find a complete SOMI Summer Games schedule, visit the SOMI Website.
