On April 16, 2001, Katie Lynch stood amidst a throng of cheering onlookers at the finish of her Boston Marathon route, filled with pride and surrounded by family and friends. That she stood just 28 inches tall and had walked only 26.2 feet mattered not at all.
When asked by a television reporter why she had devoted herself so completely to the race, Katie responded, "Because every human being is worth it." For Katie, the reward of crossing the finish line was about more than testing her limits; more, even, than the twenty-seven thousand dollars that she had raised for Children’s Hospital Boston. For Katie, the ultimate reward was the opportunity to share her message with the world.
Katie was born with a unique form of dwarfism. Known to face her challenges head-on, with a smile and a sense of humor, she had a personal mantra "Parva Sed Potens," Latin for "small but powerful". Despite her many physical challenges, she graduated summa cum laude from Regis College (Weston, MA), worked at Children’s Hospital Boston in the Center for Families, and became a sought-after motivational speaker. Katie passed away on October, 24, 2002, but her passion to take part in life and serve others lives on in the work she began.