honeypig

Back in my early 20s, which is nigh on 35 years ago now, I briefly dated the guy in the article below. I lost track of him for years and years, then noticed his name on the forum of a local running club. I contacted him to see if it was the same person from all those years ago, and it was, but what a lot had transpired in that time! This article gives a good overview:
OnMilwaukee.com Sports: Dodd finds sobriety and a marathon to be a perfect pair

Since that article was published, he has completed AODA counselor training and is working at a local high school. He is the race director for a Wisconsin marathon. This is not his first time at Boston since he got sober, but Boston is always something special, so if you think of it, send him a prayer for a race well run today.

Recovery really can happen, for those who fight for it.

Wisconsin

I love this story, HP! Thanks for sharing!

One of my high school classmates got national news coverage after the Boston Marathon bombings--she and her fiance were both there, and had already arranged and planned to get married right after they each finished the race. They are both top-flight runners, and were done and well off the course at the time of the bombings. They did indeed get married that day, and due to all the attention because of the bombings, the story made national news as a story of hope.

Kelli Johnston, Robert Watling Marry After Boston Marathon Despite Explosions (PHOTOS)

A year later, Today did a follow-up.

A year later, marathon wedding couple returns to Boston with a sweet surprise - TODAY.com

Based on the multitude of photos in my friend's Facebook feed, their little girl is already a seasoned pro at riding in her jogging stroller during races.

wanttobehealthy

That's an inspiring story!!!

I am fairly local to Boston and ran the marathon in 1998 and 1999 and lived in Boston for 12+ years so I have a personal connection to the city and the marathon on this day...

dandylion

Honeypig....wow! what a story! Truly inspirational.....
Have you thought of posting it o n the Newcomers to sobriety forum? I think it would really be an inspiration to many, there, also.
It sure is inspirational to me.....

Forgive me for being so nosey.....have you wondered what would have happened if you had stayed with him and married him? I also wonder if he was a good kisser....(Bad dandylion!)......

I am just blown away at what his finishing times are! There are tons of people who are in their 20's with NO physical problems who can't match his performance......go figure....
I think it just shows that his strength comes from the inside......
A lesson for all of us.....

for all the Newbies who ask "what does recovery look like?"......THIS is what it looks l ike.....

honeypig....th anks so much for sharing this story with us!

will you let us know how he does in the Boston?

dandylion

Liveitwell

This is very cool. Thanks for sharing, HP!

hopeful4

Very cool!

Laughing with Dandy...I was wondering the same things LOL!

ardy

thank you so much for sharing that group of photos.. hope we have as Americans so much hope.. love to you all and may your Day be full of sun Shine and flowers and may the race have no problems and lots of cheering people...

honeypig

Dandy, great idea to post in the Newcomers forum; I will do so. I will also post his race results when they're available.

When I was going to meet him for the first time after all those years, I will confess to wondering what things would have been like had we become serious way back when. Once we met and talked, tho, and I learned more about what his path had been, I was mighty glad to have not been there. As a favor to him, I typed up a significant portion of some autobiographical writing he'd been doing, and it was not pretty, not at all...

But as you say, Dandy, this is what recovery looks like. All the tap dancing and sidestepping we've seen? Nope. This is the real thing.

honeypig

Just checked his progress; he came thru the half in 1:43:07, a very respectable time!

He's still got the Newton hills ahead of him at this point, including Heartbreak Hill, but he's not new to Boston, so this won't be a surprise.

I've been trying to post this in Newcomers but I have been unable to start a new thread for a couple of hours now...

FireSprite

How inspiring!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing honeypig, this is truly awesome to read on a Monday morning!

honeypig

He just finished! 3 hours, 33 minutes, 9 seconds (I have to write it out like that b/c it turns into a weird emoticon if I put in in the normal format..?).

dandylion

:

That is a great finish, honeypig! I am so glad for him.....

Thanks for letting us know........!

dandylion