Boy With Cerebral Palsy Competes in Triathlon

CHILDREN OFTEN TEACH GROWN-UPS ABOUT FAMILY, NOT TO MENTION THE TRUE HEART OF A CHAMPION. WE WANT YOU TO MEET NOW TWO CHAMPIONS, TWO BROTHERS FROM TENNESSEE WHO KNOW THAT THE ONLY FINISH LINE THAT... See More

CHILDREN OFTEN TEACH GROWN-UPS ABOUT FAMILY, NOT TO MENTION THE TRUE HEART OF A CHAMPION. WE WANT YOU TO MEET NOW TWO CHAMPIONS, TWO BROTHERS FROM TENNESSEE WHO KNOW THAT THE ONLY FINISH LINE THAT COUNTS IS THE ONE YOU CROSS TOGETHER. OUR SISTER STATION ESPN E 60 AND JOHN ELLIOTT TELL US MORE. Reporter: IT'S THE STUFF KIDS DREAM OF. THE FREEDOM TO RUN WITH ABANDON. THE UNBRIDLED JOY OF A CAREFREE LIFE. BUT WHILE 9-YEAR-OLD CONNER GOES OUT TO PLAY, 6-YEAR-OLD CAYDEN IS ALL TOO OFTEN UNABLE TO JOIN HIM. I THINK THAT HAD BEEN ON HIS MIND MORE THAN WE KNOW AS A PARENT. Reporter: CAYDEN LONG WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CEREBRAL PALSY SHORTLY AFTER BIRTH. DOCTORS BELIEVED HE WOULD NEVER WALK OR TALK. PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU'RE SPECIAL NEEDS AND IN A WHEELCHAIR, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET OUT THAT MUCH. WE'LL ALL TRY TO GIVE HIM THE BEST LIFE THAT HE COULD EVER HAVE. Reporter: AND FORGED IN THAT COMMITMENT, CONNER FOUND A WAY FOR HIM AND CAYDEN NOT TO BECOME JUST BROTHERS OR PLAYMATES, BUT TEAMMATES. COMPETING TOGETHER IN TRIATHLONS, CONNER PULLING AND PUSHING CAYDEN THROUGH EVERY LAP, EACH WILLING THE OTHER, EXPERIENCING THE THRILLS WITH EACH OTHER. WHEN I SEE HIM SMILING AND LAUGHING, I KNOW HE IS HAVING A GOOD TIME. Reporter: FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY HAD FINISHED SOMETHING AS BROTHERS. SO IT WOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THEY SET THEIR SIGHTS ON THE BIGGEST RACE THEY COULD FIND -- THE IRON KIDS TRIATHLON. BUT ORGANIZERS DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE THEIR SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. THEIR DAD ASKED CONNER IF HE WOULD CONSIDER COMPETING ALONE. IF HE ISN'T GOING TO DO IT, I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT, 'CAUSE I LIKE DOING IT WITH CAYDEN. AND I FEEL BAD FOR HIM SITTING ON THE SLINDS. Reporter: ORGANIZERS WOULD EVENTUALLY CLEAR THE BOYS TO COMPETE. AND WHILE THEY CAME IN LAST, IT WASN'T ABOUT WHERE THEY FINISHED AT ALL. DID YOU HAVE FUN, BUDDY? Reporter: BECAUSE FINISH THEY DID, TOGETHER. IT DID SOMETHING INSIDE OF HIM. I KNOW IT CHANGED HIM. WITH THE HELP OF HIS BROTHER, HE FOUND SOMETHING HE COULD DO. AND THE BOYS ARE SET TO