Meet a Hayden preteen competing in her second Bloomsday wheelchair race [Video]

SPOKANE, Wash. — One of the greatest things about the annual Bloomsday race in Spokane is the diverse group of competitors throughout the city, country and even the world; but some of the most inspiring competitors are only across the state line.

For the second straight year, Brooklyn Gossard competed in the 7.6-mile race. The 12-year-old from Hayden is a competitive wheelchair athlete and looks at the race as an opportunity to prove to herself once again what she is capable of.

Gossard lost the use of her legs to an autoimmune disorder when she was a toddler. After years of physical therapy, she’s now chasing her goals as a Paralympic athlete, learning from the elites that compete in races like …