INSPIRATION
The proud mom is best-placed to describe Taylor, aka‘ Bean.’“ Each person with special needs is unique in their own way. Taylor has Autism, ADHD, Asperger’ s Syndrome and his brain tests lower than his actual age. Social cues lack, impulsiveness, feeling left out in social aspects, he never had the self-esteem or the ability to mix with children his age that were not on the spectrum, they are far more mature and worldly wise than he is. He has sensory issues, and growing up he would rather stay quietly next to us if there were many people around, as it is overwhelming when unfamiliar or too many people are around him.”
Fortunately, Taylor has a role model in his older brother, Dylan, who is a natural sportsman, but it took years for Taylor to master the basics that most of us just take for granted, like learning to swim, ride a bike or just catch a ball. However, running has proven to be a real outlet and developmental step for young Taylor.
A Reason to Run
The COVID pandemic posed real challenges for most families, such as keeping kids stimulated and motivated when stuck in their houses, but for special needs families, it was even more difficult. However, the Van Wyks decided to make the most of the situation and worked on actively changing their family dynamics, looking for ways to create“ more family adventures,” as Andrea puts it.
As the COVID restrictions were relaxed, one of these‘ adventurous changes’ was to replace the short morning drive in the car to Taylor’ s tutor with a daily 2km walk. Taylor was not too impressed with this, at first, and there was initially lots of grumbling, as he found the walk boring. However, he then decided that the best method to reduce the length of the boredom was to start running to his tutor, so that he could get there faster. Pretty solid logic, when you think about it!
After that, Taylor found another running-related goal that really motivated him. Andrea had received a new Suunto watch for her birthday, so she gave her older Suunto watch to Taylor to try out.“ He gets fixated on things and does a lot of research,” she says, and with his 18th birthday around the corner, he told his parents he had just one wish for his birthday – a new Suunto watch. And when the big day arrived, Taylor excitedly unwrapped his brand new Suunto 9 Peak, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Bean Backstory
In response to a question asking Andrea van Wyk why son Taylor is called‘ Bean’, she explained:“ One day we fetched Taylor from pre-school, when he was two years old and all the children were outside. His teacher called out to him,‘ Bean, your parents are here,’ and we asked her why she called him Bean?”
“ The teacher answered,‘ There is something special about Taylor. He is smaller, quieter and keeps more to himself than all the other children, and to me, he is like a little bean.
top of his tutorials, and felt less anxious about not being able to complete his schooling, and running was proving a healthy outlet for him. Now the new watch proved to be an important catalyst, as Andrea explains.
“ Overnight, he wanted to experience everyday things that kids younger than himself were doing. A little terrifying for us, to say the least, but exhilarating at the same time,” she says.“ He had this newfound confidence and needed to feel the independence to allow himself to start maturing, and he went out alone and experienced his first solo run. Then he went for longer walks and runs.”
Five months later, Taylor insisted on joining his mom and dad for his first ever official trail event, which was the Run-Ride McGregor, a two-day stage race. Taylor excelled, even managing to finish third in the men’ s category on day one, then unfortunately injured his foot and couldn’ t complete the second day, but the disappointment of not finishing the race mattered little. He had planted his feet on the fertile soil of the trails, and
When I talk to him in a soft, calm voice, he lights up, so, like a bean that is given water to grow, Taylor is my little Bean. I show him love and kindness, and his smile grows’.”
“ We had no idea Taylor was special needs then, but we knew something was different, as he took longer with the normal milestones. He was only diagnosed in Grade 1, but the nickname Bean stuck with all of us, and it really is a very special term of endearment, and very appropriate.”
knew he had found his people in the running community.“ The race organisers and the runners at the event made a huge impression on him, and he was hooked,” says Andrea.
Two Oceans Plans
Andrea and Alec had both run the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon in 2024, and when entries opened for the 2025 event, they asked Taylor if he wanted to join them. They warned him of the magnitude of the event, and that there would be thousands of people on the road, but Taylor didn’ t hesitate, so they added his name to the ballot.
To help Taylor on his running journey, the family joined Bellville Athletics Club. Most people join a running club to help with their running training, but for Andrea it was something more.“ Joining a club gives Taylor a sense of belonging, and it will increase his self-esteem going forward.”
The family began participating in some of the club runs, combining these with solo training runs, and they also worked on mental
Enjoying the trails in McGregor, with Taylor and Alec leading the pack
Milestone Birthday
The law designates one’ s 18th birthday as the formal transition from child to adult, and this was indeed a turning point for Taylor. He was on
“ Running with my dad is pretty cool, but he tells me to slow down a lot. He also normally tells really bad dad jokes, like all the time, but when we run, we focus on the run.”
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