I hate running. The adventure from point A to point B at high speeds on foot is the worst. I would rather watch an episode of MTV’s “Teen Mom” while eating a peanut butter sandwich without milk than adventure out on a run. I despise the combination of heavy breathing and dripping sweat. Perhaps the worst part is how foolish I look doing it, I start off strong but I progressively wither away into nothing by the time the adventure is over. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good challenge, something that really pushes you to a point of exhaustion that you didn’t know existed, however, I will never attempt to run a marathon. I suppose that means there are some people out there tougher than I am; one person in particular is Eva Casale.
Adventure Showreel 2013
Now a celebrity to the runner’s world, Eva Casale looks at the distance of 26.2 miles and laughs. She has completed more than 50 marathons and 32 ultra-marathons, which can range from 31-100 miles. On Sunday she completed her 7th marathon in 7 days. What motivated her to run 183.4 miles? Perhaps it was knowing that it was for a good cause. By completing the 7 marathons Casale helped raise almost $50,000 for Leukemia and Lymphoma research.
“Every day I run either in memory or in honor of a different person who had blood cancer, so I think about the people and what they went through,” she said. She’s doing it all for a great cause, fighting through the pain in her legs and chest. “I just dig deep and know the pain I feel is temporary — if my legs hurt, if I’m feeling tired, it’s nothing compared to what people are going through if they have cancer.”
Casale is no stranger when it comes to giving back to the community; back in 2006 she donated one of her kidneys to a complete stranger after hearing their story on the radio. She described the experience as being, “life altering.” This is one of those stories you read about that show the good that still exists in people. The charitable bug is contagious and capable of spreading around the world. Maybe I will organize an event of my own one-day, only I have a feeling it will be far less ambitious.
Stay tuned for “Greg’s Charitable Cake Walk 2015”
If you want to support Eva Casale’s adventure click here:
