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SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com • FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 200836

Running for Pierce■ By Jon KuiperijBEAVER SPORTS EDITOR

Born with spina bifida, PierceArani will never be the fleetest offoot.

Ailments like a tethered spinalcord, lipoma (a fatty tumour) press-ing on the cord and a syrinx (fluid-filled cavity within the spine) willlikely challenge him the rest of hislife, and weakness in his left legcauses him to fall when he runs.

That’s why his moth-er runs for him.

Beth Horodyski willdedicate each of the 21.1kilometres she runs atMonday’s Labour DayOakville Half Marathonto her four-year-old son,as she does every timeshe participates in arace.

“We want to model toPierce that sometimes things aredifficult to do, but if you persevere,you can do it,” says the 37-year-oldHorodyski. “It doesn’t matter if youwin or not. Just doing it is mostimportant.”

Horodyski initially asked some ofher fellow runners if they wanted todonate a dollar or two towards theSpina Bifida & HydrocephalusAssociation of Ontario. She wasoverwhelmed by their response.

A group of 10 runners (andcounting), called Pierce’s Pacers forSpina Bifida, will participate inMonday’s race. Pierce’s Pacers willbe wearing blue, sporting lightingheart buttons on their backs andraising money for spina bifida careand research.

The group, along withHorodyski’s husband, Arash Arani,will also run for Pierce at theupcoming Toronto InternationalMarathon.

“This is an ongoing thing,”Horodyski says. “Some people havepledged (donations) for (Monday),some have pledged for Toronto.”

The Spina Bifida &Hydrocephalus Association ofOntario provides support to familiesin the province living with spina

bifida, including sup-port lines, scholarshipand advocacy programs,and links to research.The association reliesentirely on donations.

Pierce’s Pacers hopeto raise $3,000 throughthe Labour Day OakvilleHalf and the TorontoI n t e r n a t i o n a lMarathon.

“I don’t think they get enoughfunding to (make research break-throughs) quickly,” Arani, a familydoctor in town, says. “It will take along time at this rate to find some-thing to prevent spina bifida 100 percent. It’d be nice to give somethingto pregnant women, a vaccineagainst (spina bifida), but the prob-lem is spina bifida is set within thefirst month of pregnancy.”

Pierce, fortunately, has one of themilder forms of the condition. Heswims a couple hours a day and hasparticipated in other sports likeTaekwon-Do and basketball — allwith a sunny disposition that hisparents marvel at.

“Despite the fact he’s been

Invictas co-founder was ‘tireless worker’Zaiga (Ziggy) Taylor, one of the people instru-

mental in bringing the Invictas football programto Oakville, lost her battle with cancer Tuesday inBurlington.

Ziggy co-founded the Halton Invictas with herhusband, Jack Crawford, 15 years ago. The pro-gram expanded to Oakville last season.

Ron Lambert, a football referee and a friend ofthe family, said Ziggy was always willing to dowhatever it took to ensure the success of the pro-gram.

“The word ‘tireless’ I think describes her thebest,” said Lambert, whose daughter Carly is thegirlfriend of Ziggy’s son, Jack Jr. “She was a tire-less worker in support of anything the associationwould take on in terms of expanion, training anddevelopment, coaching issues... she was rightthere, supporting Jack with everything, fromhigh-level administration to selling hot dogs.

“Ziggy just went above and beyond what Ithink the traditional spousal support is,” headded. “I’m sure if they had to wash uniforms,

they’d be washed in her washing machine.”Visitation was held last night (Thursday) at

Dodsworth & Brown Funeral Home inBurlington, and is also scheduled for today(Friday, 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.). A funeral servicewill be held tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 p.m.

If so desired, a donation to the CanadianCancer Society or Joseph Brant MemorialHospital would be appreciated by the family.

Ziggy Taylor was 60 years old.— Jon Kuiperij

“We want tomodel to Piercethat sometimesthings are difficultto do, but if youpersevere, youcan do it.”

■ Beth Horodyski

Mother dedicating half marathon to son

A MOTHER’S LOVE: Beth Horodyski will dedicate her run in Monday’s Labour Day Oakville HalfMarathon to her four-year-old son, Pierce, who has spina bifida.

LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER

Zaiga (Ziggy) Taylor

■ See Runners page 38