Cecil Williams is an adventurous soul. In 2018, after being involved in a hit-and-run accident that caused his peripheral neuropathy, he turned to adaptive sports as a way to rehabilitate his body and spirit. Through a nonprofit in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Williams quickly transformed into an adventure-seeking adrenaline junkie. 

“I have tried skydiving, hang gliding, adaptive snow skiing, adaptive rock climbing, kayaking, scuba diving, zip lining, adaptive water skiing, tubing, jet skiing - just to name a few things,” offered Williams.

In 2019, friend and KPF crank athlete Cougar Clifford and his mom told Williams about their racing endeavors with the foundation. 

“She gave me a KPF business card, and I had started to follow KPF on social media later on in the year. To be honest, I was just taking a chance by trying something new.” And so, he signed up for the 2019 Invesco QQQ Atlanta Thanksgiving Half-marathon. 

“When I had crossed the finish line inside of the Georgia State University Stadium after the half marathon. I was like, ‘this is it.’ “He had found the catalyst that helped quench his thirst to stay active in sports. 

Williams rides his Catrike outdoors twice a week and pumps iron at the gym three to four times a week, training harder when it gets closer to a KPF race day. 

This past Atlanta Half-marathon was William’s third half marathon. Searching for another marathon – next time, a full -- he is driven and committed to do more. The crank athlete has his sights set on doing a triathlon as he was recently inducted into the KPF Tri Team. 

Beyond racing, Williams stays active in the community volunteering on the Mayor's Council of Disability. 

“I try to stay engaged with my community and look for ways to serve.” 

Article Written by Kevin Enners