All contributions will be sent to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association - In Honor of Chloe's Crew.
Covering the entire Greenbrier River Trail in one swoop has long been a personal goal of mine. Years ago, I always assumed that the only way to do so, would be by bike and likely involve some overnight camping. Then last year, a friend of mine, Tim Hamilton (an accomplished ultramarathoner) and I talked about the possibility of running the entire trail in one day. Keep in mind that Tim has run multiple 100-milers, while I have only one 50k under my belt. We discussed doing this in remembrance of Charles Pinkerton, a friend/brother, of ours that tragically passed away just over 4 years ago in a motorcycle accident. Charles was always an inspiration to those that were blessed to spend any time with him and we wanted to do something to honor him on what would be the 5th anniversary of his accident. Being the person I am, of course I wondered what the Fastest Known Time (FKT) run on the trail was and set that as a backup goal.
Then, this happened with Chloe and I didn't give anything else much thought, especially not a run this Spring. However, watching her perseverance and resiliency in the face of an emergency liver transplant; bone marrow failure resulting in internal bleeding and another emergency surgery; spending two months in the hospital; and through it all, somehow finding a positive attitude, is inspiring. If Chloe can go through all of that, I can certainly run for the better part of a day on a trail that I love, with good friends, and a wonderful support crew. I'm not doing this for the fundraising aspect so much (if you feel like donating please feel free) but for the satisfaction of accomplishing a crazy, scary goal that I am unsure that I can finish.
So, in the early morning of Saturday, April 16th, Tim, James Towey (an extremely accomplished marathoner with over 100 marathons under his belt), and I will lace up and head out from Cass with the goal of running thousands of steps to cover the entirety of the Greenbrier River Trail. We will do this to honor Charles on the anniversary of his accident, to celebrate the lasting impact that he had on this world in too short of a time; to recognize the battle that Chloe has been through and the strength that she has shown; and for those that have supported us through ups and downs throughout our lives.
