Thirty-two-year old Iram Leon, did quite the unthinkable and what a feat! Through 26 mile marathon route, Leon pushed his daughter in a stroller to emerge first in the Gusher Marathon in Texas.
Thirty-two-year old Iram Leon, did quite the unthinkable and what a feat! Through 26 mile marathon route, Leon pushed his daughter in a stroller to emerge first in the Gusher Marathon in Texas. This is no ordinary marathon win as the runner is a terminally ill patient suffering a brain tumor. Iram Leon, is terminally ill, but he did not allow his illness to come in his way of running races. He continues to run all the while pushing his 6-year-old daughter's stroller along paths that can be as long as the 26-mile path he just ran.
He also wants to spend every little minute with his daughter, Kiana. During the Gusher Marathon in Texas, he ran a total of three hours, seven minutes, and 35 seconds, to cross the finishing line first.
Even before the diagnosis, Leon was always a part of marathons. He was diagnosed in November 2010 with a grade two diffuse astrocytoma, a brain tumor. Following the diagnosis, he has already completed over six runs with his daughter by his side. This is because he wants to spend every moment with his daughter before his death. ‘The one thing I'm not going to say on my death bead is, 'I wish I spent more time with my kid,' Leon said.
Indeed, it is his will and indomitable spirit which inspired him to convert an illness into something positive. His desire and will to run marathons especially at a stage when everyone would expect him to give up, has influenced the Gusher Marathon organizers to help fundraise $30,000 for Kiana's education.
Leon’s message to all is loud and clear, ‘Never Give up on life till the last’. Life is a marathon in itself, and the will and strength to run is almost always mental rather than physical.
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