Dear Family and Friends,

I've decided that a nice way to commemorate the 5th anniversary of my mother's passing would be to complete my 5th marathon.

I ran my first marathon as a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association in honor of my mother, Janice Pollock, and mother-in-law, Rita Coker, who suffered from diabetes back in 2002 and became hooked. I keep running because of a conversation I had with a couple of Portuguese runners who were running for the same cause in 2004.

To help you understand, let me give you a little of the back story. When I was training for the 2004 Lisbon marathon, my mother was in the hospital. I spent many weekends traveling to Indiana to be by her side. When time came to leave for Lisbon, I did so with a heavy heart as I knew it was possible that I might not get to visit with my mother on my return. It was a hard choice.

Once there, I discovered that the race would be a challenge both mentally and physically. The physical challenge came in the form of crazy steep hills and strong winds. So strong in fact that the gusts would stop me in my tracks! The lowest points and highest points of the race came within minutes of each other. 

After spending a miserable two stop and go miles making my way up to what had to be the highest point of the city, I considered stopping at the half-way mark. I even came up with about 10 very valid reasons to justify not finishing. I was DONE! 

As I rounded the corner of that devilish hill, a couple of folks jogged up and said "thank you." That comment brought me out of my self pity enough to mumble, "huh?"

The young lady pointed at my jersey that proclaimed I was running to find a cure for Diabetes and said in broken English, "Thank you for coming around the world to run for me today. I have diabetes, do you?" After I explained about that my mother had diabetes and was in critical condition in the hospital, she responded, "There are 36 people on my team running for a cure today. We're all running for your mother and we hope she is better soon."

Needless to say, I finished the 26.2 miles. I'll always contribute that conversation to the cosmic power of a mother to motivate her child.

My mother passed away within days of my return.

In 2006, I ran marathon number 4, the Marine Corps Marathon, in memory of my mother and to help raise money to find a cure. 

The researchers are getting close, but haven't found a cure yet. I'm back pounding the pavement again to help find a cure. I'll be running the San Antonio Rock N Roll marathon on November 15th as a tribute to my mother who taught me to never give up as well as for the other members of my family (and yours) who suffer from Diabetes.

You Can Help!

Please support me in my efforts to run 26.2 miles and raise money for a cause that means so much to me.

All of the funds raised by the Diabetes Action Team will support research to prevent, treat, and cure diabetes. I will be paying all of my expenses (entry, travel, meals and and lodging), so all of your contribution will go directly to educational programs and finding a cure for Diabetes.

With your help, we can make a difference. 

Thanks for your support!

About Diabetes Action

The Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation (Diabetes Action), a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded in 1990, is committed to the prevention and treatment of diabetes and to the funding of innovative, promising research aimed at finding a cure for diabetes and diabetes related complications.