August 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 23

People for Parks
A Brotherly Bond Builds a Park
The mother of two young boys whose passion for outdoor activity garnered
international attention talks about their family and their new all-access park
By Marissa Bracamonte

leven-year-old Conner Long of White House, Tennessee, has always
loved the outdoors and being active, but he knew there was something
missing. His 9-year-old brother, Cayden, has hypertonic cerebral palsy, which renders him unable to walk or speak, so he couldn't play or compete with him. Still, Conner wanted to find a way for Cayden to be able to
participate, and their opportunity came in the form of a kid's triathlon when
Conner was seven and Cayden was five. " We saw it in a local parenting magazine, and Conner asked, 'Can I do it?' I told him, 'Sure, I don't see why not,' "
says Jenny Long, mother of Conner, Cayden and their 4-year-old brother,
Cooper. " Then he asked, 'Well, can Cayden do it?' I didn't want to say yes,
but I really didn't want to say no. " Long got in contact with the triathlon organizers and cleared it with them. " They said it was fine, and they seemed just
as enthusiastic as we were about it! " Long recalls. With determination and
planning, using wheelchairs and small tugboats, Cayden was able to do all of
the events with his brother. " I don't like the word 'disability'....It's a different
ability, " Long says when discussing how much Conner wanted Cayden to be
able to do the things he could do. " Now both have become stronger individuals. Cayden is getting out and doing things, and Conner sees that people are
accepting of his brother. "

L to R: Brothers Conner, Cayden and
Cooper Long enjoy one of the accessible swings at Roll Around the Park.

Today, Conner and Cayden have
completed " well over 20 kids' triathlons " together, as well as many other races such as local 5Ks and Fun
Runs. Long acknowledges that no
two events are the same. " Each race
brings a different memory, struggle
and challenge that they face. Racing
now is harder. Cayden is nine and almost outgrowing Conner. They did
one race and it was almost all uphill
in the dead of summer. Conner was
saying 'I don't think I can do this,'
and I didn't want to push him too
hard. At the same time, there's that
mom in me that's encouraging them
to keep going. " But to her, it's absolutely worth it. " They've traveled and
seen so much together. People have
to realize it's about more than winning. It's about giving your heart and
giving your all. "
The Longs have been getting attention from media outlets and celebrities around the world, from Japanese reporters to basketball superstar
LeBron James. Still, Long knows it's
a delicate balance. " The first year, it
blew up. We were so eager to spread
awareness, but it was overwhelming
for the boys. We had to back off a little and let them enjoy what they love
to do and have fun with it. It shouldn't
be a job. We have to keep an eye on
it and make sure it remains more fun
for them than it is business. "
Thankfully, Conner and Cayden
are getting more chances to simply
play together these days with the

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