The Running Dream

Somehow, Marla Sumner from Channel 7 finds out about Jessica’s quest. Sumner calls Jessica to ask about the story, but Jessica agrees to it only if the focus is on Rosa. What ensues is a camera crew following Rosa and then Jessica around during school and while Jessica is training. When Sumner asks Jessica what is in her mind when she runs, Jessica gets snippy and responds, “this is not about me […] It’s to have people see [Rosa] instead of her condition. That’s all anybody with a disability wants” (314). Jessica insists that people need to get to know a person with a disability instead of just stopping and assuming based on what they see.

Friday night, Channel 7 features a report by Sumner on Jessica that abides by Jessica’s wishes. Sumner explains Rosa’s cerebral palsy, and how her motor skills are damaged but her mind works perfectly. The camera pans to shots of Jessica running with Rosa in her wheelchair down the street, Jessica working in the weight room, and Jessica running on the track. But Sumner makes it clear that Jessica is running for Rosa, so “people see them, not their condition” (315). At the end of the clip, Sumner notes the race is two weeks away, and they will be there to film the girls as they run.