South Bay residents may have spotted Tyler Lucas running along The Strand or playing volleyball on the beach, but they may not realize that he's running for a greater purpose.
Tyler, 27, is one-half of "Team Lucas." The other half is Tysen, his brother.
Tysen has a medical condition known as spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, in addition to epilepsy and scoliosis, which keeps him confined to a wheelchair most of the time, but that doesn't keep the team from entering 5Ks, 10Ks and half-marathons.
While Tyler pushes the wheelchair, Tysen provides the motivation.
"We can bond together, and [Tysen] likes going fast in the races," Tyler told writer Wanda Anderson during an interview. "It drives me to do the running events because he loves it. He has his hands in the air at the finish lines and people are clapping … It's something we can do together. It drives me.
"At the end of races he walks across the finish line with assistance."
The brothers have competed together in nine races in Southern California, starting with a 5K in Redondo Beach in 2007. Their next race will be the Hollywood Half Marathon.
The team also raises money for an organization called Angels Smiles, which offers dental services to disabled people.
- Full story: Stars of the Hollywood Half Marathon
