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Michelle and Chris Ray and their four daughters of Ringgold, Ga., are the true picture of a family in motion, in every sense of the word. Michelle and Chris Ray founded Chattanooga-based Addie Ray Racing in 2018, a remarkable nonprofit that reflects not only the couple’s passion for marathon and triathlon participation and an overall commitment to a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but most importantly, Addie Ray Racing is a testament to Michelle and Chris’s most firmly held personal values of inclusion, selfless generosity and above all, an unwavering dedication to family principles.
Built on the core belief that everyone, regardless of physical state or medical condition, is entitled to experience the “exhilaration of crossing a finish line,”, the Addie Ray Racing organization enables disabled or “differently abled,” a designation Michelle prefers) individuals to compete in organized public races (such as marathons and triathlons) while seated in a specially designed running wheelchairs, affectionately referred to as “chariots,” customized for the assisted athlete and able to convert into bicycle trailers, if needed for the biking portions of triathlons. At Addie Ray Racing events, each chariot is pushed by a volunteer runner and together the duo, referred to individually as the “chair athlete” and the “chair pusher,” complete the race as one, ultimately crossing the finish line and more importantly, providing a most unique and rewarding experience for each.
The founding of Addie Ray Racing was set in motion by a series of serendipitous and unexpected events in the lives of Michelle and Chris Ray. College sweethearts at the University of Alabama, they wed in 2003 and within the span of 13 years they became parents to four daughters, Gracie, Glory (nicknamed Addie), Mercy and Honor. Second daughter, Addie, was born with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic condition resulting in cognitive and physical challenges that require around-the-clock care. Undaunted, Michelle and Chris adjusted seamlessly to Addie’s unique needs with their customary positive outlook and creativity, redesigning their career paths in decidedly entrepreneurial directions by crafting professions with flexible hours, ensuring 24//7 parental care for Addie.
A licensed midwife, in 2005, Michelle launched her own midwifery practice offering full spectrum maternity care. As practice owner, Michelle is able to establish hours that accommodate Addie and coordinate with Chris’s schedule. On a personal level, Michelle finds tremendous satisfaction as a midwife, describing her vocation as “a great and wonderful job… Giving birth is an emotional time for women, but in the best way possible. Mothers want only to love and protect their babies, and it’s my privilege to help them navigate their pregnancy and childbirth experience.”
Chris has also carved out a career that is personally gratifying and also enables him to create a flexible schedule, prioritizing the wellbeing of his family. Graced with an innovative business acumen and a college degree in marketing, Chris runs a business that places caregivers in homes of the elderly, giving seniors the option of aging and dying at home. As a teenager, Chris witnessed a protracted illness and home death of his father, providing him with a unique understanding of what transpires when a family member dies at home, from the perspective of both the family and the ailing family member. This event was instrumental in leading Chris toward a career that allows him to draw on his experience and thoughtfully guide others through this challenging period eventually faced by most families. The couple’s work choices of Michelle welcoming those at the start of life’s journey and Chris supporting those at the end demonstrate not only the couple’s selfless and nurturing characters, but also reflect, in harmonious and near perfect symmetry, the full circle of care they provide.
As Michelle and Chris approached their mid-30s, the happy, busy and hard-working parents were out of shape and overweight. Additionally, Michelle had developed a worrisome health concern, whereby she was unable to hold down food. (Unaware of it at the time, this stomach condition would become a catalyst that would lead the Ray family in a completely unexpected direction that would impact their lives, and the lives of many others, in ways they could have never predicted.)
Visiting doctors but finding few answers, Michelle and Chris, with their usual upbeat determination, took charge of resolving Michelle’s diet mystery, culminating in a reevaluation and complete overhaul of the family’s diet, exercise habits and overall health and wellbeing.
First and foremost, to identify the offending food source, the Rays moved to a house with enough land to plant their own vegetables and fruit and raise chickens, cows, pigs and ducks. By adapting a purer, more organic diet, Michelle lost considerable weight, her stomach problems were resolved, and most significantly, healthy eating habits eventually became a permanent way of life for the entire Ray family. With a whole-body approach to health, the couple also started exercising, soon becoming avid runners. And while celebrating Michelle’s 35th birthday in Hawaii, Michelle, Chris and friends made the providential decision to hike the renowned Iron Man triathlon course in Kona. This period marked the beginning of the Ray family’s love affair with running and competitive racing.
The habit of running together as a family unit, as a default solution to childcare, transformed into a more beloved pastime when Addie was 9. With her energetic nature and preference to be “out and about and on the move at all times,” at a 5K in Dalton, Michelle seized the opportunity to borrow a sports wheelchair from a group of wheelchair athletes, giving her a chance to push Addie along the course of the race. An instant success, Michelle said Addie “had so much fun! She screamed, she laughed, she grinned. She just totally ate it up.”
Though the chariot is an expensive piece of equipment, Chris and Michelle immediately recognized its value so they created a GoFundMe enabling them to purchase Addie her very own chariot. This was a seminal moment for Addie, marking the start of her relationship with running, existing to this very day. Michelle explains, “almost 20, racing is still Addie’s No. 1 thing … she loves speed and loves to go, go, go…” Additionally, having a chariot impacted not only Addie, but, whether enjoying a leisurely Sunday jog or competing in a full blown marathon, the chariot enabled the Rays to run as a family unit, with all their girls gleefully in tow, most notably Addie, front and center, wearing the brightest smile of all.
But to Chris and Michelle, most stunning was the small miracle that occurred as the result of the wheelchair purchase. In being able to offer Addie the support and means to run and race, they unlocked doors and removed obstacles imposed by a physical condition that otherwise would have blocked her from partaking in some of life’s most basic, but also most affirming and confidence building experiences, such as being part of a group, understanding the vicissitudes of competition, and being able feel the pure and unparalleled joy of crossing a finish line.
Noting the profound impact that racing made on Addie’s sense of self, engagement with the world and overall quality of life, planted a seed in the minds of Chris and Michelle, blossoming ultimately into their decision to create the nonprofit, Addie Ray Racing, in 2018. Michelle explains, “We just wanted other kids to feel empowered by their disabilities and to have as much fun as Addie was having! We also wanted to help other parents catch a break from caregiving, which can be constant for some families.” Surprisingly, it was slow going at first, as Michelle notes, “It’s actually really difficult to talk parents into letting their disabled children race. They are often fearful of what might happen to them… It took a lot of volunteers in the racing community to sit down with the parents… before they agreed to join in.”
Reluctance to participate was short lived, however. Since then, Addie Ray Racing has grown into a well-oiled organization, comprised of a cadre of dedicated volunteers, a fleet of 11 chariots, and a waiting list of wheelchair athletes eager to run in any of the approximately 13 yearly races in which Addie Ray Racing athletes compete. Most importantly, Addie Ray Racing has grown into a comprehensive and supportive community of local wheelchair athletes and families, providing a priceless and meaningful opportunity for all involved. Learn more at Addierayracing.org.
by Sally Burke
Built on the core belief that everyone, regardless of physical state or medical condition, is entitled to experience the “exhilaration of crossing a finish line,”, the Addie Ray Racing organization enables disabled or “differently abled,” a designation Michelle prefers) individuals to compete in organized public races (such as marathons and triathlons) while seated in a specially designed running wheelchairs, affectionately referred to as “chariots,” customized for the assisted athlete and able to convert into bicycle trailers, if needed for the biking portions of triathlons. At Addie Ray Racing events, each chariot is pushed by a volunteer runner and together the duo, referred to individually as the “chair athlete” and the “chair pusher,” complete the race as one, ultimately crossing the finish line and more importantly, providing a most unique and rewarding experience for each.
The founding of Addie Ray Racing was set in motion by a series of serendipitous and unexpected events in the lives of Michelle and Chris Ray. College sweethearts at the University of Alabama, they wed in 2003 and within the span of 13 years they became parents to four daughters, Gracie, Glory (nicknamed Addie), Mercy and Honor. Second daughter, Addie, was born with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic condition resulting in cognitive and physical challenges that require around-the-clock care. Undaunted, Michelle and Chris adjusted seamlessly to Addie’s unique needs with their customary positive outlook and creativity, redesigning their career paths in decidedly entrepreneurial directions by crafting professions with flexible hours, ensuring 24//7 parental care for Addie.
A licensed midwife, in 2005, Michelle launched her own midwifery practice offering full spectrum maternity care. As practice owner, Michelle is able to establish hours that accommodate Addie and coordinate with Chris’s schedule. On a personal level, Michelle finds tremendous satisfaction as a midwife, describing her vocation as “a great and wonderful job… Giving birth is an emotional time for women, but in the best way possible. Mothers want only to love and protect their babies, and it’s my privilege to help them navigate their pregnancy and childbirth experience.”
Chris has also carved out a career that is personally gratifying and also enables him to create a flexible schedule, prioritizing the wellbeing of his family. Graced with an innovative business acumen and a college degree in marketing, Chris runs a business that places caregivers in homes of the elderly, giving seniors the option of aging and dying at home. As a teenager, Chris witnessed a protracted illness and home death of his father, providing him with a unique understanding of what transpires when a family member dies at home, from the perspective of both the family and the ailing family member. This event was instrumental in leading Chris toward a career that allows him to draw on his experience and thoughtfully guide others through this challenging period eventually faced by most families. The couple’s work choices of Michelle welcoming those at the start of life’s journey and Chris supporting those at the end demonstrate not only the couple’s selfless and nurturing characters, but also reflect, in harmonious and near perfect symmetry, the full circle of care they provide.
As Michelle and Chris approached their mid-30s, the happy, busy and hard-working parents were out of shape and overweight. Additionally, Michelle had developed a worrisome health concern, whereby she was unable to hold down food. (Unaware of it at the time, this stomach condition would become a catalyst that would lead the Ray family in a completely unexpected direction that would impact their lives, and the lives of many others, in ways they could have never predicted.)
Visiting doctors but finding few answers, Michelle and Chris, with their usual upbeat determination, took charge of resolving Michelle’s diet mystery, culminating in a reevaluation and complete overhaul of the family’s diet, exercise habits and overall health and wellbeing.
First and foremost, to identify the offending food source, the Rays moved to a house with enough land to plant their own vegetables and fruit and raise chickens, cows, pigs and ducks. By adapting a purer, more organic diet, Michelle lost considerable weight, her stomach problems were resolved, and most significantly, healthy eating habits eventually became a permanent way of life for the entire Ray family. With a whole-body approach to health, the couple also started exercising, soon becoming avid runners. And while celebrating Michelle’s 35th birthday in Hawaii, Michelle, Chris and friends made the providential decision to hike the renowned Iron Man triathlon course in Kona. This period marked the beginning of the Ray family’s love affair with running and competitive racing.
The habit of running together as a family unit, as a default solution to childcare, transformed into a more beloved pastime when Addie was 9. With her energetic nature and preference to be “out and about and on the move at all times,” at a 5K in Dalton, Michelle seized the opportunity to borrow a sports wheelchair from a group of wheelchair athletes, giving her a chance to push Addie along the course of the race. An instant success, Michelle said Addie “had so much fun! She screamed, she laughed, she grinned. She just totally ate it up.”
Though the chariot is an expensive piece of equipment, Chris and Michelle immediately recognized its value so they created a GoFundMe enabling them to purchase Addie her very own chariot. This was a seminal moment for Addie, marking the start of her relationship with running, existing to this very day. Michelle explains, “almost 20, racing is still Addie’s No. 1 thing … she loves speed and loves to go, go, go…” Additionally, having a chariot impacted not only Addie, but, whether enjoying a leisurely Sunday jog or competing in a full blown marathon, the chariot enabled the Rays to run as a family unit, with all their girls gleefully in tow, most notably Addie, front and center, wearing the brightest smile of all.
But to Chris and Michelle, most stunning was the small miracle that occurred as the result of the wheelchair purchase. In being able to offer Addie the support and means to run and race, they unlocked doors and removed obstacles imposed by a physical condition that otherwise would have blocked her from partaking in some of life’s most basic, but also most affirming and confidence building experiences, such as being part of a group, understanding the vicissitudes of competition, and being able feel the pure and unparalleled joy of crossing a finish line.
Noting the profound impact that racing made on Addie’s sense of self, engagement with the world and overall quality of life, planted a seed in the minds of Chris and Michelle, blossoming ultimately into their decision to create the nonprofit, Addie Ray Racing, in 2018. Michelle explains, “We just wanted other kids to feel empowered by their disabilities and to have as much fun as Addie was having! We also wanted to help other parents catch a break from caregiving, which can be constant for some families.” Surprisingly, it was slow going at first, as Michelle notes, “It’s actually really difficult to talk parents into letting their disabled children race. They are often fearful of what might happen to them… It took a lot of volunteers in the racing community to sit down with the parents… before they agreed to join in.”
Reluctance to participate was short lived, however. Since then, Addie Ray Racing has grown into a well-oiled organization, comprised of a cadre of dedicated volunteers, a fleet of 11 chariots, and a waiting list of wheelchair athletes eager to run in any of the approximately 13 yearly races in which Addie Ray Racing athletes compete. Most importantly, Addie Ray Racing has grown into a comprehensive and supportive community of local wheelchair athletes and families, providing a priceless and meaningful opportunity for all involved. Learn more at Addierayracing.org.
by Sally Burke
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