Evan Mansfield never expected to go far in life.
The humble Irishman was diagnosed with autism at a very young age, and he wasn’t fully verbal until 6 years old.
Thanks to years of therapy and unwavering support from his family and friends, Mansfield is finishing his MBA at Fairfield University in Connecticut and preparing to toe the start line at Sunday’s TCS New York City Marathon for the first time.
“With a bit of hard work and dedication,” Mansfield, 23, told The Post, “anything is possible.”
As part of this journey, the affable Gen Zer is fundraising for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit guided by the principle that discussions, policies and research concerning autism should be led by people with autism.
In that spirit, Mansfield is using his platform as a member of the New York Road Runners’ Team Inspire to dispel harmful misconceptions about the neurodevelopmental disorder amid rising diagnosis rates.
“I know some of the language that’s been thrown out,” Mansfield said.
“I just want to put out there that autism isn’t a problem that needs to be solved or a disease that needs to be cured,” he continued. “It’s a difference in how we process information, [in] how we access the world around us.”
Mansfield, who hails from rural southeast Ireland, was diagnosed with autism at the tender age of 2 after his parents quickly realized that his development seemed off.
He was behind in feeding, toilet training, socializing and talking, so much so that his two younger brothers taught him words.
His language and memory would come and go, and instead of playing with his toys, he would line them up by size and shape.
“I had a lot of sensory issues,” he explained. “Certain environments or places would freak me out.”
Mansfield is the only one in his family with autism, so his parents had to learn this new world fast.
He underwent intensive speech work and therapeutic schooling.
He had a full-time special needs assistant until he was 12 and access to one-on-one teaching until he was 18, thanks to his “proactive” parents, who schlepped him for hours every day so he could take advantage of these resources.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work,” Mansfield said, “that I wouldn’t be able to do without the early access to supports.”
He also found that fitness helped his development.
Running, rowing and soccer taught him how to socialize with others and work as a team.
Research suggests that certain traits associated with autism, like repetitive motion and the need for routine, can be advantageous in endurance sports.
But people on the autism spectrum may find running challenging due to sensory issues.
When he’s out on the roads in Fairfield, Mansfield requires a lot of stimulation.
“I’m always listening to a book. I’ll verbalize my thoughts and talk to myself,” he said.
Mansfield ran his first half-marathon last year and decided to go for the whole shebang, joining over 55,000 athletes in the 26.2-mile NYRR-produced race.
His goal is to cross the finish line in under four hours, which would be a remarkable feat at nine minutes per mile through the five boroughs.
“My master’s is a year-and-a-half, so it comes to an end in December,” he said. “And I couldn’t have imagined a better way to top it off than to run the biggest marathon in the world.”
NYRR even selected Mansfield to be one of 26 athletes on Team Inspire, a diverse group of participants with compelling personal stories.
Not only did Mansfield overcome his educational challenges, but he also became the first person in his family to graduate from college.
He earned a prestigious scholarship to complete an MBA with an AI concentration at Fairfield.
After graduation, he hopes to work as an analyst or product manager.
“That was never in the wildest dreams of anyone in my family, especially me,” he said.
“It just goes to show that pushing people outside their comfort zone, encouraging them to be the best versions of themselves every day and having that understanding [of the autism spectrum are] very important.”
