DENVER (KDVR) – A 10-year-old amputee in Colorado is defying the odds as a track star, and now she’s about to compete at the national level.
Just last year, Carmen Wilkey started running.
“In her freshman year, she set three national records for her age group, classification and gender,” her father, Michael Wilkey, told Nexstar’s KDVR.
Carmen was born without her left fibula, outer metatarsal and pinky toe, resulting in amputation as an infant.
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She recently competed at the Endeavor games in Oklahoma and placed in all events. On Monday, they head to Homewood, Ala., for nationals. These meetings were organized by Move United
Before heading to nationals, however, the family made a stop in Nashville, Tennessee, where Carmen was fitted with a new running blade and leg provided by Amputees Blade Runners.
It’s serious stuff for Carmen, but she’s just as excited about the friendships she’s making along the way.
“It’s been a really exciting and fun ride,” he said. “It’s been crazy at times but really fun. I love being out here and being able to meet people like me with disabilities, I think it’s great.”
In the meantime, Michael just wants other parents to know that this outlet is available for kids like his daughter.
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“To see her be able to latch on to these things and really enjoy them and excel at them at such a young age is really amazing,” he said. “The biggest thing is access. There are so many kids in this community who have no idea these events are happening.”
This is just the beginning for Carmen, she has big dreams and wants to be a Paralympic athlete in track and snowboarding, which she also excels at. His father couldn’t be happier about it.
“There’s a pretty clear path for them and she has to follow it and we’re there. I couldn’t ask for anything more for any of my kids,” Michael said.
