Christine Boyle

Team Boyle Foundation

Running with Purpose! #BeLikeCourt

What a journey the Team Boyle Foundation has been on! Are you ready for this story?

The Team Boyle Foundation is a 501(c)3 that began back in 2016. It all started when Dan Boyle, Christine’s husband, was determined to push their daughter, Courteney, who was 16 years old at the time and used a wheelchair, in the 19.3-mile Glass Slipper Challenge, at Walt Disney World. Courteney had just experienced significant medical challenges that greatly impacted her life expectancy. Christine and Dan knew the time was NOW for her to be pushed for the race of her life in those 19.3 miles at Walt Disney World! Disney was the place where Courteney and her brother Kevin, who is adopted from El Salvador and also has disabilities, each had their Make-A-Wish trips, thus making it one of the most special places on earth to the Boyle family.  Dan was shocked to find out that runDisney had a “no mobility aid” policy which prohibited athletes like Courteney from participating by being pushed in a racing chair by a non-disabled runner/pusher. He had already pushed her in 5ks, 10ks, and half-marathons all over Ohio and he knew other “big” cities allowed running/push-duos, so he knew he had to advocate for change. 

After many months of advocacy, prayers were answered and dreams came true! Dan received a phone call from the runDisney director, personally inviting Courteney and him to be a part of the 2016 Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend! The rules had been changed! Barriers were broken! Dan and Court quickly became trailblazers, changing the future not only for themselves, but for countless other push-duos who have participated in all Disney races!

Before they knew it, the father-daughter duo’s story that broke down barriers at Disney was shared everywhere. From local print media, including multiple local newspapers and Cleveland Magazine, to every TV news channel in Cleveland, their story gained attention.  Dan and Courteney’s story became a national news story too!  They were even featured online on Sports Illustrated and on Headline News.

Knowing that this race had taken on so much significance, the Boyles realized that running with Courteney could mean so much more than just that.  They decided that running with Courteney would become “running with purpose.”  And so they chose to run to raise money for a young lady in El Salvador named Rina, who lived neglected with significant medical needs and disabilities.  With all that hype around that first race at Walt Disney World and the national media attention, the Boyle’s raised over $12,000 for her care in a matter of just a little over 48 hours!  

It became apparent to Dan and Christine that they could use running for good and they decided to formally start a non-profit foundation, the Team Boyle Foundation. The mission would be “Running with Purpose” by using Dan and Court’s incredible story and races to raise money and awareness for various causes and needs in the disability community!  To date, Team Boyle has raised over $35,000 for the special needs community.  Money raised has gone towards fantastic endeavors beyond only Rina’s care. 

Team Boyle helped fund the Ohio State Challenger Baseball (Little League for kids with disabilities) tournament when it was held in Northeast Ohio.  Two years in a row they funded over a total of 20 camp slots for kids with disabilities to go to Young Life Capernaum camp in Virginia at no cost!  Last summer they were a financial sponsor of a retreat specifically for mothers who are caretakers for kids with disabilities and chronic needs. What began as just Dan wanting to push Courteney for Courteney has blossomed into the Boyle family using their platform to impact the lives of others.

In 2022 Courteney Boyle went home to Jesus, leaving an amazing legacy to keep going.  At her funeral, the theme, Be Like Court, was created and now has become the anthem of Team Boyle.  We desire to honor her, remember her, celebrate her victories and look at her life as an example of endurance, perseverance, living life to the fullest, loving God with all of your heart and caring for others.  Before Court had passed away, she had been pushed over 100 total miles by her amazing father and the other half of their special duo at Walt Disney World.  Now her younger brother Kevin has taken up the reins and together Dan and Kevin run for her memory as they continue to “Run with Purpose” and #BeLike Court!  In fact, Kevin’s first race was the 2023 Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend 19.3-mile Fairy Tale (renamed from “Glass Slipper”) Challenge in which he and so many others ran in honor of Courteney! Kevin victoriously walked across that finish line demonstrating the anthem, #BeLikeCourt!  

Running for Rina

Rina has been part of the Boyle Family since 2005, when Chrisitne went on her first missions trip to El Salvador. After hearing about Rina, Christine brought a wheelchair to El Salvador to fit Rina for. Rina was malnourished, skin and bones and suffered from an unmanaged seizure disorder. It was then that Rina became a part of the Boyles. They began sending money monthly for seizure medicine and food for Rina. But each year Christine went back, Rina was the same and often-times worse than the year before. 

Finally in 2013, when Christine was in El Salvador to bring Kevin home to the U.S. and she visited Rina, everything changed. She found Rina along in a dark room, laying in her own urine and feces with small bugs crawling on her mouth. It was then that she realized more had to be done to rescue Rina from this darkness. Christine collaborated with not only Love and Hope Children’s Home, who had been helping to take Rina the food and medicine that was purchased, but also now the non-profit ministry, AME, which consists of two Christian, American missionaries who also had a heart and passion to relieve Rina’s suffering. We decided to dream big for Rina. Because she was an adult, we quickly found out that there are practically no options for adults with disabilities to reside long-term. We realized our only hope was finding someone with an incredible heart to say that they would take her in and care for Rina well. 

The missionaries from AME reached out to a family in their city who they had a relationship with and told them about Rina and they agreed to meet Rina. On their first visit meeting Rina, they asked if they could bring her home that day! It was an answer to prayer that this precious family was willing to bring Rina to their how, especially in the condition she was in. 

Team Boyle used their first Disney Princess Race to raise over $12,000 for Rina’s care in a matter of just a few days. Other organizations helped to make the Medina’s home accessible for Rina and her equipment. Christine found monlthy donors to help partner in providing the financial support for her to be cared for. Rina has been with the Medina family for almost 10 years now and her life has forever changed. She is happy, loved and so well cared for and has a forever family. She receives food, clothing, diapers, home health aid services, therapy services, medical appoitments, transportation to and from appointments and so much more. Rina’s life has been an incredible testimony of the body of Christ rallying together to change and save a life! 

This year, Team Boyle is Running for Rina again! She is in need of more financial support, as her monthly contributions don’t meet her monthly financial needs. It is a joy, honor and priviledge to get to be a part of her story and God’s story. Please join us, as we “Run for Rina” this year.