In 2006 my oldest son Karl was diagnosed with an incurable eye condition could potentionaly make him go blind, This diagnose was too much to an already struggling single parent of two young boys. Unable to sleep I started to go for a run every day because I couldn’t breath. In an incredible short time I ran my first marathon and qualify for Boston, It was by total accident that I stumble upon a race near my house, It was a 78 mile race named the Canadian Death Race, when I sign to run it and asked my friends to pledge me for every mile I finish, I had only run 1 marathon in my life and it was a couple of weeks before the race. So my friends pledge me to NOT go. I didn’t finish the race, I was forced to pull out because of hypothermia but there was something amazing about it, I made it to 56 miles. Teaching me that fear had hold me back significantly. What else could I do if I gave myself the opportunity?
And that’s how it all started, a simple desire to do something about my sons diagnoses that it was positive.
Since then I have gone to run many more ultras, on all 7 continents, also summit some difficult mountains all to show my kids that anything can be accomplished if they are willing to work hard.
If you had asked me a few years ago what was my quest about I would have said that it was to fight blindness, now I realize that I am here to show my kids to live life with passion. My passions are running, exploring and dedicating my life to find a cure for my son and others around the world like him. In 2010 I decided to open up about my past, is not real courage if you don’t face you biggest fears, for me it was to openly say, I am a survivor of sexual violence.
I hope in this site you find something that convinces you to find your passion and help others along the way.
To find out more about my recent project, and upcoming documentary, Be Relentless, where I more than doubled the Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Triathlon visit berelentless.iempathize.org.