Joseph Brown

"The clock is running.

Make the most of today.

Time waits for no man.

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift.

That's why it is called the present."

 

In a single phone call, I was faced with what this proverb truly means. I found out both that my mother had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and that her father’s prostate cancer had taken a serious turn for the worse. Time wasn’t waiting for either of them, and the need to treasure their time was paramount. In my life, this was by no means the beginning of my relationship with cancer: a number of years earlier, I witnessed my father as he struggled through the funeral of his father, who also passed away because of prostate cancer. In addition, I am extremely fortunate to have a cousin who survived his battle with thyroid cancer. So, this phone call was an all too clear reminder of how quickly the present can change, especially when cancer is involved.

 

My mother responded to her treatment extremely well and is doing fantastic these days. My grandfather survived for another year before he succumbed to the disease, and it was during the course of his final year that I began my relationship with endurance athletics. While I have always loved long distance hiking and the outdoors, I was a self-proclaimed hater of “running for no reason” for the first 22 years of my life. When graduated from college, I decided that I needed something to do, so I challenged myself to my first official race: the Chicago Marathon. Upon completing the race I vowed to my parents and friends that I would never again lace up running shoes; yet, the following year I somehow found myself toeing the starting line of the Chicago Marathon.

 

Since completing my second marathon, I have fully embraced endurance events and have tacked up a number of shorter races while wrestling with the ultimate idea of completing the impossible: an Ironman. Then, in the fall of 2009 I met Jason Sissel and learned about Endure to Cure. While I listened to him speak about his vision for the foundation and drive to accomplish his campaign, I knew that I not only had to challenge myself and attempt the impossible, but that I had also found a group that I needed to be a part of. Having been so impacted by cancer this far in my life, I know that no child should have to go through it. They deserve to have the mystery of tomorrow.

I

plan on completing a cycling tour from Charleston, SC to New Orleans, LA in August of 2010, the Chicago Marathon in 2010, followed by the Ironman 70.3 Racine in an effort to prepare for the Ironman Wisconsin in 2011. Please consider supporting me in my endurance campaign so that we can give the gift of time to all of the children whose clocks have unfortunately been sped up by cancer.

 

Thanks for your time,

Joe