Nonprofit started by Wake Forest track alum is one of ten Make It Award finalists

Former Wake Forest track and field star Suzie Clinchy ('11) found a way to combine two personal passions to fill a need serving New York children with disabilities by founding Fast Feet, a nonprofit that provides adaptive running programs for youth with autism and developmental disabilities.

Make it Awards graphic

Now Fast Feet is one of ten finalists for the Squarespace x New York Knicks "Make It Awards," which support local entrepreneurs and small businesses who embody the hustle and grind of New York. Four winners will be selected based on business strategy and innovation, benefit to the Tri-State area, website branding and design, and public voting. The winners will be recognized at a future New York Knicks game and earn a $30,000 grant, a business mentorship and promotional assets at Madison Square Garden.

"I was surprised," Clinchy said about being designated one of the 10 finalists. "There's thousands of entries. You don't have to be a nonprofit, but just a small business. I believe we're on the smaller end of the scale. I'm just happy they're eager to support those with disabilities and support our mission. I was thrilled."

The social media voting component of the competition ends today (Friday, Jan.10), so supporters of Clinchy and Fast Feet are encouraged to like and retweet this tweet from Squarespace.

Providing adaptive running programs to schools and communities that serve children with autism and developmental differences: how's that for a mission? @FeetNyc is our next #MakeItAwards finalist – learn more about the non-profit below! @nyknicks https://t.co/qJBwjnf4cZ
— Squarespace (@squarespace) January 7, 2020

"It would be huge," Clinchy said about the potential impact of making the final four. "Winning $30,000 for a nonprofit like mine is truly transformative. It would enable us to help hundreds more New Yorkers with disabilities. It would enable Fast Feet to implement a couple of new programs across the city and make our programs more accessible to those who live in the Bronx and Staten Island.

"Obviously the exposure would be great. That's one of the obstacles to running a small nonprofit, is not having the budget to spend on advertising. So having that free marketing and advertising would be beneficial."

Clinchy arrived at Wake Forest as a high school All-American who had started running competitively at the age of 15.

"Being an NCAA student-athlete really prepares you to work really hard, take on a variety of commitments and balance schedules," she said. "That enabled me to be a public school teacher, go to grad school and start a nonprofit all at the same time, while still running, training and racing. I always want to thank Wake Forest for their help and everything they taught me during my four years."

She competed on both the track and cross country teams at Wake Forest, graduating in 2011 as a math major. She then began working as a New York City public school math teacher while also coaching track at the schools where she taught.

"Running is one of my biggest passions, as well as working with kids," Clinchy said.

One of her friends was teaching at a school with autistic children and asked her if she was interested in working with them athletically.

"We did a program in the spring, and it was amazing," Clinchy said. "I fell in love with it. I loved working with the children with autism from the first practice. It was so rewarding.

"The positive benefits that I saw running was giving to all these students was just mind-blowing." Fast Feet participants

She followed up that work by investigating to see if there were any existing programs that did similar work.

"After some research and thinking, I decided to take the leap and start my own nonprofit that brings running to people with disabilities," Clinchy said.

"There's obviously the physical benefits. Running helps you be fit, gives you exercise and enables you to live a healthy life."

Beyond the obvious physical benefits for children, the running programs offered by Fast Feet can help socially.

"Often children with disabilities or autism are at a higher risk for social isolation," Clinchy said. "Having a team to be on is huge. The ability to make friends through sports is transformative. I think that running is an easy way to get involved in a sport. Everyone can participate, whether you run, walk or push yourself in a wheelchair. You can be part of our program, be on a team and have positive peer connections."

She started Fast Feet during the summer of 2018 and said the program is individually tailored to suit the needs of each child.

"Our programs are diverse," Clinchy said. "Running is a great sport in which everybody can participate. You don't need a lot of prior knowledge. You don't need to learn specific skills, so it's a great confidence builder as well.

There are now Fast Feet programs in eight different New York City schools, as well as ongoing relationships with both Special Olympics and some parks in the city.

"It's really taken off in ways that I hoped for, but didn't know that I could expect," Clinchy said. "The New York City community has been really supportive of us. The disability community has been supportive and thankful. It's been awesome."

Clinchy is hopeful the grant and recognition from the "Make It Awards" can help spur the growth Fast Feet has planned in the coming years.

"We want to continue growing in New York City," she said. "Our goal, by the end of 2021, is to have adaptive running hubs in each of the five boroughs of New York City — so it could be a meeting place for anybody who wants to come to Fast Feet. We'd have locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island for our practices.

"I would also love to expand nationwide. I get emails from places like Colorado and Hawaii because they've never seen anything like Fast Feet. So we'd love to expand outside of New York as well."

For more information about Fast Feet, visit fastfeetnyc.com.

Wake Forest Athletics

Nonprofit started by Wake Forest track alum is one of ten Make It Award finalists

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