Tekoa’s Susannah Scaroni is rising star in international wheelchair racing

Susannah Scaroni wouldn’t miss Bloomsday – not for the world.

She should know – she’s seen most of it.

Scaroni, a rising star in the international wheelchair racing circuit, is between trips to England and Switzerland, but the highlight will always be May in the Inland Northwest.

“I love this community because it brings back those memories,” said Scaroni, who’s back for her 12th Bloomsday. “All my friends and family will be on the road.”

That road began in her hometown of Tekoa. Paralyzed at age 5 after an auto accident, Scaroni found her path a few years later when her mother, Barbara, introduced her to Teresa Skinner and the ParaSport program in Spokane.

“I fell in love with it and joined the track team,” Scaroni said. “I got to see adult wheelchair races, and saw where I was headed.”

Skinner pointed the way. “She had that vision that neither my mom nor I had, of what sports could do for me,” said Scaroni, who’s won two Bloomsday titles and narrowly missed a third last year.

Now 24, Scaroni lives near the University of Illinois, where she graduated with a degree in dietetics. Her rise began with a top-10 finish in the Boston Marathon in 2012 and a second-place finish that same year at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. A year later she won marathons in Los Angeles and the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Two weeks ago, Scaroni placed fourth at Boston, then seventh in last week’s London Marathon. Ahead is some heavy work on the track, as she hopes to make the Olympic team.

Her next shot will be in Switzerland, where she hopes to qualify for the American Trials in the 5K and the marathon.

“The goal is Rio,” Scaroni said.

In the meantime, Scaroni is making the most of her visit home. On Thursday, she was reunited with Skinner as they made a presentation to a class at Gonzaga. The mission: to get more kids involved, Skinner said.

“She’s been in my PowerPoints since she was 9 years old,” jokes Skinner, who looked on proudly as Scaroni was introduced to the media at a Bloomsday press conference.

Come Sunday, Scaroni will be not only the hometown favorite, but the favorite, period. Last year, she broke the Bloomsday record, but settled for second place behind Tatyana McFadden.

“I’m going to give it my best,” Scaroni said.