Teacher to run Pittsburgh Half Marathon with student with special needs

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Next weekend, runners from all over will converge on the city for the annual Pittsburgh Marathon. The typically solo sport will be a team effort for a teacher and one very special student. 

Running is extremely physical. Running a half marathon, well, that's both physically and mentally demanding. And Savanna Barton has decided to do it for the second year in a row.

But this time, she's running for and with someone who otherwise could never.

"It is not easy, but you know, I'm not doing it because it would be easy. I'm doing it to give her the opportunity, give her family the opportunity," Savanna said. 

Savanna is Sophie's teacher at the Watson Institute, a school for students with special needs. Sophie is non-verbal and needs a lot of help just to walk.

"I see the mountains my students have to climb every single day and just how resilient they are," Savanna said. 

Savanna will need to channel that resilience. For all 13.1 miles through several neighborhoods, across three bridges and up and down hills, Savanna will push Sophia in a special stroller.

"I have trained with it with my husband with a 45-pound weight because that's about how much Sophie weighs," Savanna said. 

It won't be easy, she knows that. But she also knows for Sophie, this is likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"If the hardest thing I have to do is push her in the half marathon, it just really puts it into perspective what they are going through every single day," Savanna said.