Ramon Bio
A bit about me, Ramon Bermo, and why I am Crossing the Nation
Also known as ‘El Jefe’, I am American Cancer Society Director of Development and DetermiNation Head Coach.
The person
My running career started 46 years ago as a 10-year-old and I have not stopped since. I have participated in hundreds of races all over the world, including 98 official marathons, a few hundred unofficial marathons, and hundreds of other races ranging from one to 240 miles. I've also competed in long distance triathlons for 11 years and I was an All-American ranked triathlete. I have randomly set myself some personal challenges such as spending the 24 hours on my birthday running on the treadmill.
I was a competitive athlete until I turned 40, when I decided to stop the pursuit of fast times and instead challenge myself by completing tough and beautiful events 😊.
Bit of me as a coach
I have been coaching for 26 years. While I still enjoy participating in events, it is through my coaching that I continue to truly feed my passion for running and athletics. Coaching allows me the opportunity to meet great people who share my excitement for a sport that I love. Isn't it so inspiring to see how something as simple as running can bring such a cocktail of experiences (smiles, tears, frustration, happiness, suffering)?
My approach to coaching? “Every mile is easier with a smile!”
My favorite race
As a race, Tor des Geants is without a doubt my favorite race because of its beauty and the challenge. As for my favorite marathon, Athens takes the top spot. There’s something special about running The Original.
Ramon as the American Cancer Society DetermiNation Director
I’ve been with ACS for 14 years now and I am well aware that I am a very lucky person to do something I am truly passionate about while meeting truly amazing human beings. I feel inspired every single day as I know that we are all having a part to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.
Why Crossing the Nation?
It’s about inspiration. I don’t have just one reason, I have thousands of reasons!
It’s about honoring those who inspire me every day!
I think of it as my opportunity to honor all those who I have met during my 23 year career in the endurance non-profit cancer world. It’s about all the friends I made while running thousands of meaningful miles. It's about the families I meet on weekend events. It's about the many runners I coached and their courage and their tears while dedicating their training to loved ones. It’s about those who I first met while running for someone they love, and then come back to run for themselves. It’s about the sad reality, knowing that someone close to me will hear the words ‘You have cancer’. It's my way, for all of the above, to let them know I care and that they are the ones who inspire me.
Why 31 miles per day?
To bring awareness to the 31 Hope Lodges across the country. I know the comfort that the American Cancer Society Hope Lodges provides to cancer patients and their families when going through their cancer journey. I have met many who stayed in our NYC Hope Lodge and see so many each time I walk into my office building as they are waiting to be transported to receive treatment.
