I don’t like to run. I do it because I’m told that it’s good for me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I really don’t enjoy running. However, there are those who do. Take for instance Ron Wertley from Tampa, Florida. He apparently likes to run a lot.
According to the Disney Parks Blog, Ron Wertley recently completed the 48.6-mile Dopey Challenge which entails running the Disney World 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon in successive days. While that’s pretty neat, it’s even more impressive knowing that he did it while undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Wow!
Ron was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, shortly after completing the 2018 Dopey Challenge. At the time, he was given a 40-percent chance of survival chance. But because he has run in every Dopey Challenge and wasn’t about to let some cancer stop him from competing again, Ron continued training for the 2019 challenge during his chemo treatments.
After going through chemotherapy for almost a year, Ron received word that his cancer was in remission; however, he learned in December that it had returned. The news brought with it a 30-day hospital stay and more aggressive chemo treatments to combat the disease again. Despite this, and with the support of his Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training teammates, Ron successfully completed his sixth Dopey Challenge, proving that fortitude, determination, and grit can help accomplish anything.
Check out the video above for more on Ron’s story.
