---
title: "PCDI Pacers Running Club: Shaping Steps"
description: The Pacers began their first group running practices in July 2022 with Niky Mateescu, a PCDI administrator and Olympic Trials Qualifier. The clinical team worked closely with Niky to develop a practice sequence, visual supports, and reinforcement contexts for students to be successful, with special attention to promote generalization at Meadows Miler, PCDI's benefit run held each fall.
---

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# PCDI Pacers Running Club: Shaping Steps

By: [PCDI,](https://www.princeton.pcdi.org/pcdi-news/author/pcdi)  Sep 29, 2023 9:27:32 PM

[Teaching Strategies](https://www.princeton.pcdi.org/pcdi-news/tag/teaching-strategies), [Program Initiatives](https://www.princeton.pcdi.org/pcdi-news/tag/program-initiatives)

![PCDI20220006](https://www.princeton.pcdi.org/hs-fs/hubfs/PCDI20220006.jpg?width=348&height=224&name=PCDI20220006.jpg)The Pacers began their first group running practices in July 2022 with Niky Mateescu, a PCDI administrator and Olympic Trials Qualifier. The clinical team worked closely with Niky to develop a practice sequence, visual supports, and reinforcement contexts for students to be successful.

![TJL04024](https://www.princeton.pcdi.org/hs-fs/hubfs/TJL04024.jpg?width=285&height=190&name=TJL04024.jpg)Although some students had already developed a love of running before Pacers began, other students has less experience. During the first practice one of our high schoolers participated by walking during each of the drills, never picking up the pace. After training with his classmates over several months, he not only completed the 5k at Meadows Miler, but placed second in his age division!

Thank you to our clinical team for supporting our students during Pacers practices and volunteering as running partners for our students during Meadows Miler!

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