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First Runner With Down Syndrome Completes NY Marathon, Redefines Word 'Champion'

First Runner With Down Syndrome Completes NY Marathon, Redefines Word 'Champion'
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It took him a little over eight hours to complete the New York City Marathon, but Jimmy Jenson is nothing short of a champion.

When Jenson, 48, crossed the finish line in Manhattan on Sunday, he became the first person with Down syndrome to ever complete the renowned 26.2-mile race in New York, TODAY reported.

The determined runner first became interested in hitting the pavement more than 10 years ago when his roommate, whom he lives with in a group home, picked up the sport. At first, he just set his sights on completing a 5K, according to Best Buddies, a nonprofit that works to integrate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Jenson partnered up with Jennifer Davis who coordinates day programming for people with disabilities at the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, and the two began training for short-distance runs.

They gradually worked up to completing the Los Angeles Marathon. The pair then decided to try and make history by participating in the New York City Marathon, in honor of the Best Buddies mission.

While training has helped Jenson get in shape, lose 69 pounds and become more outgoing, Davis says he’s having an even greater impact on others.

“I was able to help Jimmy become more active, get in the community, lose weight, and tie his shoes,” Davis said in a press release, according to Best Buddies, “but he taught me about enjoying life, dancing and singing like no one is watching, and that a hug and a hot cocoa can solve almost anything.”

He is also showing the Down syndrome community –- and the disability community at large –- just how much terrain they can conquer.

"It’s incredible for the movement,” David Quilleon, Senior Vice President, Major Gifts, Mission, & Operations for Best Buddies International, told TODAY. “It’s incredible for people with disabilities. It’s just awesome.”

If Jimmy Jenson's story and smile inspires you as much as it does us, consider supporting Best Buddies here.

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Before You Go

PHOTOS: 2013 NYC Marathon
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Runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners cross the Verrazano Bridge as they race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A New York Police Department Emergency Service Unit vehicle is stationed on Central Park West near the finish line before the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013 in New York. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. One of the most famous marathons in the world, canceled at the last minute in 2012 because of Superstorm Sandy, started with approximately 45,000 participants and strengthened security measures after the bombing of the Boston Marathon in April 2013. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners start the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected toe race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. One of the most famous marathons in the world, canceled at the last minute in 2012 because of Superstorm Sandy, started with approximately 45,000 participants and strengthened security measures after the bombing of the Boston Marathon in April 2013. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Police officers watch as runners are checked at a security checkpoint before the start of the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners at spectators are checked at a security checkpoint before the start of the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners are checked at a security checkpoint before the start of the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Runners cross the Verrazano Bridge as they race in the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Police officers watch as runners are checked at a security checkpoint before the start of the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2013. Some 47,000 runners were expected to race through the five boroughs of the city. AFP PHOTO/EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Tatyana McFadden(16 of51)
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Women's wheelchair winner Tatyana McFadden, left, gets a kiss from a family member after coming in first in the women's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
Marcel Hug(17 of51)
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THIS CORRECTS THAT THE PERSON AT FAR RIGHT IS UNIDENTIFIED, NOT KURT FEARNLEY OF AUSTRALIA - Marcel Hug of Switzerland reacts crossing the finish line followed by Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa, center, as he wins the mens' wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. Person at rear right is unidentified (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
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Runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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The Lower Manhattan skyline can be seen in the distance as runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Marcel Hug of Switzerland, bottom, crosses the finish line first in the mens' wheelchair division, followed by Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa in second, and Kurt Fearnley of Australia in third at the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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Tatyana McFadden of the United States crosses the finish line first in the women's wheelchair division at the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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A police helicopter hovers nearby as runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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A police helicopter hovers nearby as runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Police and U.S. Coast Guard helicopters fly overhead as runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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A New York Police emergency service unit vehicle is parked near the finish line of the New York City marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. Enhanced security is visible in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
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Counter-terrorism police officers walk the course near the finish line of the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. The increased security at the marathon will be most evident near the finish line in Central Park. There will be barricades around the park to limit entry points, bag checks and bomb-sniffing dogs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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A police officers stands near the finish line of the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. The increased security at the marathon will be most evident near the finish line in Central Park. There will be barricades around the park to limit entry points, bag checks and bomb-sniffing dogs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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A counterterrorism police officer uses a metal detecting wand at a security checkpoint near the finish line of the 2013 New York City marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. Increased security is visible in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
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A runner, in yellow, wanders through a crowd of police officers near the finish line of the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. The increased security at the marathon will be most evident near the finish line in Central Park. There will be barricades around the park to limit entry points, bag checks and bomb-sniffing dogs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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Security personnel walk near the finish line of the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. The increased security at the marathon will be most evident near the finish line in Central Park. There will be barricades around the park to limit entry points, bag checks and bomb-sniffing dogs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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Heavy security including a bomb-sniffing dog are present near the finish line of the 2013 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. The increased security at the marathon will be most evident near the finish line in Central Park. There will be barricades around the park to limit entry points, bag checks and bomb-sniffing dogs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (credit:AP)
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Runners are screened by police officers as they arrive for the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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The Lower Manhattan skyline is visible in the distance as a police helicopter patrols near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Police officers from the counterterrorism unit stand watch over runners who arrive for the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners are screened by police officers as they arrive for the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners are screened by police officers as they arrive for the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners are screened by police officers as they arrive at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners are screened by police officers as they arrive at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:AP)
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Runners pass under a bridge on Fourth Avenue in the Brooklyn borough of New York during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (credit:AP)
Tatyana McFadden(43 of51)
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Women's wheelchair winner Tatyana McFadden, left, gets a kiss from a family member after coming in first in the women's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
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Runners, seen through bars on a subway entrance, move up Fourth Avenue in the Brooklyn borough of New York during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (credit:AP)
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With the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the background, runners with the Active Running Club of North Bay, Ontario, Canada, bundle up and rest before the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (credit:AP)
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With the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the background, runners rest before the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (credit:AP)
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Runners, blurred by a slow shutter speed, move up Fourth Avenue in the Brooklyn borough of New York during the New York City Marathon, as a police officer and fans watch, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (credit:AP)
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Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya holds the Kenyan flag after winning the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
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Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya runs along Fifth Avenue in New York during the New York Marathon Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. In a double victory for Kenya, Mutai has successfully defended his title and Priscah Jeptoo rallied to win the women's race. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (credit:AP)
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Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya runs along Fifth Avenue during the New York City Marathon Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. In a double victory for Kenya, Mutai successfully defended his title and Priscah Jeptoo rallied to win the women's race. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (credit:AP)
Geoffrey Mutai(51 of51)
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Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya wins the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in New York. New York City Police Chief Ray Kelly holds the tape, at right. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (credit:AP)
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