Running As Therapy For Former Troubled Teen

From the NY Daily News online…

Running As Therapy For Former Troubled Teen

Updated: Nov 1st 2011 10:30 AM UTC by News

He will run his first marathon on Sunday.

“The world is my gym,” says 24-year-old Tyric Cuff.

This statement couldn’t be more true. As a child, Cuff was relocated from state to state. As a teenager, he was put into foster care and shifted between numerous families. He’s always been on the move.

In order to cope with his problems, Cuff has turned to exercise–specifically, walking and running.

“I had these moments when I would get upset, and while I would get upset I would feel really, really angry,” Cuff said. “I would want to punch walls and stuff. Instead of doing that, I took my music and walked and ran. Sometimes I would bring a basketball, or a backpack full of CDs with my Walkman and just walk.”

Now 24, Cuff is doing more than just walking; he’s going to take on one of the hardest running events: the marathon. Next Sunday, he will run the ING New York City Marathon.

Cuff’s mentor is David Kamnitzer. They are running the race together.

“It’s not about keeping up with him, or him keeping up with me,” Kamnitzer said. “Whether I do one mile, or he does ten, it’s just the fact that we are thinking about doing it together. It’s really about the process. We both hope to cross the finish line.”

Read on here.