Before running 26 marathons and winning 6 gold medals in the Special Olympics, Loretta Claiborne dealt with a lot of anger. She was bullied for her intellectual disability by both her peers and teachers. But when Loretta discovered running, she found a way to process her emotions as well as a community where she was cherished. She compares discovering her identity as an athlete to finding a new pair of pants that fit perfectly. Loretta believes that teamwork and play have a spiritual quality, one that can bring us together. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, we're all the same.’ We're not all the same. We are different. But it doesn't matter, we have a common bond,” Loretta says.

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Loretta Claiborne is runner, motivational speaker, and Special Olympics Athlete. You can find out more about her work at lorettaclaiborne.com.

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Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

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