Two years ago, Troy Smith was leading a sedentary life. With a career as a middle-school teacher, a side business in lawn care, and a young family that included a daughter with autism, the Holly Springs resident had a full schedule.
Smith had been fit in college but never considered himself an athlete. He had been running in the Autism Society of North Carolina’s fundraising 5k each year since Grace, now 10, was diagnosed with autism, but that wasn’t enough to keep him healthy.
He decided it was time to turn his life around.
Back then, Smith averaged a 36-minute 5k. Now he’s at 23 minutes and aiming to shave another minute off by Christmas. He also is down from 230 pounds to 170. “I’ve come a long way in two years,” he says.
Smith, 40, runs in most of the Second Empire Grand Prix Series races – about 20 a year – and has also done one marathon, some half-marathons, four triathlons and the Tuna Run, a 200-mile relay to the coast.
Running has become his escape. “It’s downtime for your brain,” Smith says. “Once you set out on a long run, there’s nothing that’s going to interrupt it.”
He’s also getting his whole family involved. He and his wife, Beth, have been taking Grace and Anna, 7, out walking and jogging this summer. Smith thinks the exercise has been helping with Grace’s fitness and balance, challenges for some individuals with autism.
And come Oct. 12, they’ll all be more prepared for the Triangle Run/Walk for Autism. The event is the Autism Society of North Carolina’s largest fundraiser of the year, drawing thousands to a course lined with cheering families in downtown Raleigh.
The Smith family fields a team called “Walking with Grace”; last year, they had about 170 members and raised more than $7,000. Lots of races support good causes, Smith says, but autism diagnoses are increasing every year, and more families need support.
“If you’re going to do a race, the autism run is the one to do.”
The 15th annual Triangle Run/Walk for Autism will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Moore Square in Raleigh. The event will include a competitive 5k, which is part of the Second Empire Grand Prix Series, a noncompetitive 5k, a 1-mile fun walk and a kids’ dash. For more information or to register, visit www.trianglerunwalkforautism.org or call 1-800-442-2762.
