Run Ben Run!
Ben Roberts is a resident of Hannah and Friends Neighborhood located in South Bend, Indiana. He currently resides in the the Jon Bon Jovi home with three of his housemates. Diagnosed with Autism, Ben does not let his challenges stop him from enjoying life and participating in his many hobbies. In addition to dinosaurs and making homemade juices, Ben posseses a tremendous talent for running. Hannah and Friends is fortunate to see Ben on several occassions running around the Neighborhood to train for his various runs throughout the country. On January 7, 2012 Ben will run in the Orlando Half Marathon. Please donate to Hannah and Friends in honor of Ben to celebrate his passion for running. All money raised will help improve the quality of life for individuals with special needs through residential and recreational programs.
Donations are accepted via Paypal by clicking the link Chipin or by sending checks to
Hannah and Friends "In honor of Ben"
51250 Hollyhock Road
South Bend, IN 46637
For more information, visit www.HannahandFriends.org or call 574-273-9824
Ben's Magic 40 by Mom Karen
We call it Ben’s magic 40, the point that he typically hits his runners high. At Ben’s magic 40, you see that he is smiling and laughing to himself. Turning to look at his running companion he says “you are doing a good job” or “I’m so happy” or “this is great, I love running.”
Ben has not always been a runner. Early in life he was diagnosed with autism and mental retardation. When Ben began taking medication that made him constantly hungry, we found it all too easy to provide positive reinforcement with food, and by the time he was 21 he weighed 315 lbs. We all knew that we had to make changes, so we worked on eating habits and exercise. After 9 months of effort Ben’s weight was 250 lbs, and it was time to start his running. It was November, and I announced to the family that I was going to start Ben on a running schedule and that he was going to run the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle with me in March. There were skeptics. While we all were excited about Ben’s progress, no one was confident that he could succeed at running.
I made a pact with Ben: you run with me through the winter, and we do the race together. If you do not like it, you do not have to run with me anymore. He agreed. We took our time, using a walk run schedule and practicing runner’s etiquette 101 – spitting on your fellow runners isn't cool and don't bowl people over. After several months, Ben ran his first 8K in the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle. He loved it. Since then, Ben has run several races, including several half marathons. It turned out that Ben not only loves running, he loves going to the races and experiencing the excitement and adventure. After years of racing, it is easy to take some of the festivities for granted. But when you travel with Ben, you have the privilege of seeing each race through the eyes of a 6-year-old. Every morsel of food at the exposition has to be tasted, every band has to be listened to, every turn is exciting and adventurous and every medal is treasured. The medals are so treasured that Ben uses them to decorate the family Christmas tree, proud to show Santa his achievements.
Ben is now 27 and lives at Hannah and Friends community in South Bend, Indiana. Hannah and Friends was founded by Charlie and Maura Weis in honor of their daughter and part of their mission is the development of a neighborhood with residential homes for adults with special needs. The effort to keep Ben running has extended beyond his immediate family to his new family of caregivers and loved ones at Hannah and Friends. It takes one person to start a good habit, and it takes a community to support those habits as we progress through life. This is particularly true when someone has personal limitations and has to rely on others to provide guidance and support.
Ben has other hobbies, and some of them carry over into his running. He has several stuffed dinosaurs, and during races one of these treasured companions gets to ride in his camelback. The dinosaur that gets the honor of joining him is selected by Ben, and depends on the race. When Ben ran the San Antonio half marathon, Mr. T Texas Ranger came along for the ride; his official name is the Tyrannosaurus Rex from Texas. So if you see a tall, happy man, with a smile on his face, running with a dinosaur on his back, be sure to say hello to Ben.
