Sunday, March 2, 2014

Celebrating Life at the Walt Disney World Half Marathon – I runDisney

This is a story of determination, inspiration and the celebration of life.

Two years ago Dominic Alexander from Washington State began his day getting ready for a barbeque with family and friends, but in a split second his life changed forever. Climbing a ladder in his shop to get pillows for patio furniture, he lost his balance and fell 14 feet, smashing his head onto the concrete floor and suffering a traumatic brain injury. Dominic’s wife Teresa remembers, “If you listened to the medics, if you talked to the doctors, he basically wasn’t alive. It was grim and they couldn’t help but grab my arm and make sure I knew how serious it was.”

With faith, love, and a determination to live, Dominic beat the odds and started on the road to recovery. One of his first goals was to return to running. Dominic says it was important because “it was the one thing that could make me feel normal.” Once cleared by doctors he started putting one foot in front of the other, kept moving forward, and today continues to race to the the finish line of recovery. Doctors credit his positive attitude and being in great shape from running as keys to helping him get where he is today.

With the goal of running side-by-side with his twin brother in the half marathon, Dominic and family traveled to Florida to participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna. When asked what he would be celebrating, Dominic said, “being alive.” I invite you to take a couple moments and share Dominic’s journey to the finish line.

I runDisney is dedicated to sharing compelling and motivational human-interest stories. We hope to encourage everyone to live a healthy active lifestyle and participate in a runDisney event. To view submissions and learn how to upload and your story, visit irundisney.com.

Celebrating Life at the Walt Disney World Half Marathon – I runDisney by Robert Hitchcock: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog



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