Marathon a chance for thousands to run for people's lives

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By Stefanie Nakasone
snakasone@starbulletin.com

AS A SINGLE MOM for seven years, Jeannie Wokasch-Young used her athletic talent as a world-class marathon runner to earn a living to support herself and her two children. And now, with her children still in mind, the 43-year-old is running for a cause near and dear to her.

BACK TO TOP HONOLULU MARATHON EXPO These events at the Hawai'i Convention Center are free and open to the public: TODAY, 9 A.M.-7 P.M. 9:30-11:30 a.m.: Honolulu Marathon Legends of Running, featuring Frank Shorter, Ian Stewart, Alberto Salazar, Greg Meyer and Cosmas Ndeti Noon-12:30 p.m.: Jake Shimabukuro autograph signing 2:30-4:30 p.m.: Naveen Andrews of "Lost" autograph signing 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa of "Memoirs of a Geisha" autograph signing 5-6:30 p.m.: Coaches clinic and demonstrations led by Rich Miano TOMORROW, 9 A.M.-6 P.M. 9-10:30 a.m.: Speed and flexibility clinic for youth ages 7-12, led by Rich Miano 9-11 a.m.: Little League World Champions autograph signing 9-11 a.m.: Yuko Arimori, Olympic silver and bronze medalist, autograph signing 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Speed and flexibility clinic for youth ages 13 and above, led by Rich Miano 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Evangeline Lilly of "Lost" autograph signing 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Brian Viloria autograph signing 3:30-5:30 p.m.: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa of "Memoirs of a Geisha" autograph signing

From 1993 to 2000, Wokasch-Young raised her two sons in Honolulu. But because Andy, now 21, and Chris, 20, both had autism, Wokasch-Young faced the extra challenge of taking care of her children without adequate professional help.

"It got to the point where I had a lot of trouble with the school system," Wokasch-Young said. "There really were no resources." With proper care and services, autism is treatable in many cases. But without them, something as simple as riding the bus without getting kicked off became difficult.

"I couldn't drive a car anymore because (my son) would keep opening the door, so I got into pushing my sons in a jogging stroller everywhere," she said. "People thought I was just training."

The final straw came when Andy had his appendix kicked in by classmates at school, forcing Wokasch-Young to make the painful but necessary decision to give up her sons so they could live in California, where there were better facilities for autistic children.

But a year ago, Wokasch-Young heard about the opening of the Pacific Autism Center and discovered a place that provided all the care and help that she and her children never had locally.

"I walked in and looked around. I was so impressed," Wokasch-Young said. "I was crying when I left. ... If I had these services with my children, I would never have to give them up."

That's why in the days leading up to Sunday's Honolulu Marathon, Wokasch-Young, a winner of more than 20 marathons, has made clear that her race this year is a "Run for Autism."

OF THE MORE than 25,000 entrants who participate in the Honolulu Marathon each year, there are many who run not only for themselves, but for the chance to raise money and awareness for their various causes.

For Wokasch-Young, her personal struggle with the unsatisfactory care locally for those with autism inspired her to run. And she is just one of 2,021 running this year's marathon in support of a cause.

Though this is the first year she is doing a Run for Autism, Wokasch-Young said she had been thinking about it for a long time, and three weeks ago sought the advice of marathon runner-turned-author Tom Knoll. In addition to advice, Knoll also offered to give Wokasch-Young a dollar from every copy of his book "Why Not a Million?" sold.

Then, two weeks ago, Wokasch-Young approached Pacific Autism Center President Laura Cook with her idea.

"She said, 'Hey, I've got this great idea. I'm going to be running the Honolulu Marathon. Let's run for autism,'" said Cook, whose own 10-year-old son, Zachary, was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of 3. He is now recovered.

So with little time to prepare, the center was able to secure a booth at the marathon expo, which had to be paid for.

"I told them it'll come back tenfold, and so far it's been going great," Wokasch-Young said. "The response has been great. ... I wish I had done this a long time ago."

With the help of Wokasch-Young, the center has raised more than $2,000 since Tuesday. The money will go to local families to help pay for services of the center.

With the success of this venture, Cook said there are already plans to do a Run for Autism for the Great Aloha Run, as well as expand into the international market by doing a run in Japan.

"It's all about awareness, getting the word out," Wokasch-Young said.

While Wokasch-Young is the lone representative in the race for the Pacific Autism Center, other groups have brought hundreds of runners from around the world.

WITH 672 RUNNERS and mentors in town for Sunday's race, including 60 members of the Hawaii chapter, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training is one of the biggest groups participating in the marathon. From the Honolulu Marathon alone, the group has raised $2.4 million, of which at least 75 percent goes directly to research.

Each runner goes through a 12-week training program that helps them prepare for endurance events such as marathons and triathlons. And during training, each runner collects a certain amount of donations, based on travel expenses, for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

LIKE WOKASCH-YOUNG, many members of Team in Training also have strong personal connections to their cause. The group's most recognizable figure is former Olympic long-distance runner and broadcaster Marty Liquori. Ironically, just months after becoming the national spokesman for Team in Training, Liquori himself was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

With Liquori's help, the organization has flourished, boasting more than 275,000 participants.

"Marty was instrumental in this," said Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon. "(Team in Training) is the biggest and most successful. It's interesting, numbers keep increasing. People who sign up are further and further outside the group of Americans you would think would be interested in trying to run."

While she had never known anyone with a blood disease before becoming involved with Team in Training, campaign director Jen McVeay has since known four people diagnosed. In her and her husband's second year with Team in Training, the child of their close friends was diagnosed with a blood disease.

"We were with them at the hospital every day," McVeay remembered. "Ever since then we've said, 'We're sticking around until we find a cure.'"