It's hard to forget Christopher Reeve in his iconic role as Superman. And to help ensure that we don't forget, Will Reeve, the son of Christopher and Dana Reeve, will run the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 6.
Reeve is running in memory of his parents, and also to raise $35,000 for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the nonprofit his parents founded to support patients with spinal cord injuries and raise funds for research. Will, who was orphaned as a 13-year-old when his mother died from lung cancer 17 months after Christopher's death from a heart attack, sits on its board.
Christopher Reeve spent nearly a decade confined to a wheelchair after a horse-riding accident damaged his spinal cord and left him paralyzed. So while it isn't hard to understand how the work of the foundation is near and dear to Will's heart, it still wasn't easy to convince himself to commit to running such a long distance. Reeve told the New York Post that he'd tell friends and family for years that he would run the marathon "next year."
âFinally I realized, âWhat kind of example am I setting when many of the people in the spinal-injury world for whom I advocate would do anything just to be able to step up to the starting line?'â Reeve, who works as a reporter for ESPN, said.
So, it's the cause he's running for that pushed him to commit to competing in the marathon. Thankfully, he won't have to do it alone. Team Reeve is made up of 50Â other people including his friends and his girlfriend.
And of course, his parents are there to back him him in spirit.
âEverything I do, I try to honor my parents' legacy,â Reeve told the Post. âI want to keep their names alive."
So, will he be able to cross the finish line? I have a feeling that he will. He's running for a good cause, and there's no better motivator than that. Superman or not, I believe he's got everything it takes to be great in this race.
To learn more about the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation or to donate, visit their website.
[h/t: CBS News]
