Team Perry at the Wild Half

Christmas 2013. Perry had been dealing with the reality of ALS for two seasons. We watched him go from cane, to wheelchair, to motorized wheelchair, to hospital bed. At the same time - in stark contrast - Rita, Kelly, and I were becoming seasoned runners. Perry was losing mobility, yet we were blessed to be able to RUN.

As our family shared that final Christmas with Perry, we three sisters got a crazy idea - a WILD idea.  We found a half marathon in Wildwood, NJ - and one of the non-profit beneficiaries was the ALS Association. It was then that we decided to register together and run The Wild Half Marathon in honor of Perry.

This past weekend we fulfilled that mission.

We hit the beaches of New Jersey on Saturday in anticipation of Sunday's run. Our first night was filled with silly pictures, pizza on the boardwalk, and rides on Morey's Adventure Pier (they made me ride a terrifying roller coaster)!

 

On Sunday, we woke up at 4 a.m. for race day (we needed plenty of time for coffee). We had been training all spring, but we were also faced with training conflicts, knee injuries, and other stumbling blocks. As we approached the starting line, we had one question on our minds... Could we go the distance? 

We set off on a beautiful 13.1 mile course down the length of boardwalk and throughout Wildwood. What a unforgettable experience to be in one of my favorite places (the beach!) with my two awesome sisters! When the miles got longer and our legs got heavier, we remembered how much of a gift it is to even attempt to run this distance.

And we kept running because we could. We had to - We were running for Perry. 

Did we cross the finish line? YOU BET (Rita beat me by one second!), Rita and Kelly completed their first official half marathon, and a new annual tradition was created (Can't wait for the Wild Half Marathon 2015)!

Perry Thoman - this one was for you, Bro!

 

Become a part of TEAM PERRY. Make a donation now to help us find a cure for ALS. CLICK HERE