One of these days I'm going to have to write a book about the interesting people I have known in the fifteen years I've coached folks to walk the Portland Marathon. I've met a roomful of extraordinary, ordinary women and men. None of them has ever actually won the marathon, you understand. I haven't actually done that either, but I imagine it's quite nice! No, these folks are winning a different kind of event . . . they're winning life.

Jan Eggers "I should be dead," she says. To look at her sitting across the table, neatly dressed in business attire, you'd hardly think she knew a thing about death's doorstep. Sure, she's got one of these faces that at age 62 let's you know she's seen a bit of life. But she also looks rugged and there's a light in her eyes that tells you there's a depth to her determination that comes from grabbing life by the hand and running with abandoned rather than, waiting for it to tap her gently on the shoulder. Five years ago, Jan Eggers lay in a Vancouver hospital fighting for her life. Over thirty-five years of cigarette smoking had taken a toll and she was losing the battle. In typical fashion, she decided she wasn't ready to quit and, after a week of respiratory therapy, she realized she had to do something. She joined the Kaiser stop smoking program ("it's a great program"!) and, with the help of her husband and her boss and co-workers at Island Financial Group, she kicked the habit and turned the corner. Jan has COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, specifically emphysema. Her lungs, on a good day, function at 66% of normal capacity. In December 2002, Jan had quit cigarettes, but she couldn't go up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing. She did not like the feeling. Faced with the choice to find a building with elevators, a one-story house and flat streets, in grand style Jan joined a gym instead! "I got a trainer, because I knew I'd be more successful if I had accountability. After a few months, I set a goal with my boss to do a 10k (6.2 mile) walk. That was the 2003 Mayor's Walk. When it was done, I thought I was going to die! But I did it and that was progress." The next goal was supposed to be a half marathon, but that didn't happen. With a wink, Jan told me, "I didn't like myself very well!" Solution? She went to her favorite sports store to buy a new pair of shoes. That's where she found out about Women Walk the Marathon® from Katey Angel, winner of the Portland Marathon in 1985. "Here," said Katey, stuffing a flyer for the clinic in her hands, "do this. You'll love it!" Back to the trainer! "I'm gonna walk a marathon," she announced, and off they were on a program to improve her strength and, especially balance. "I think the balance training really helped me on some of my training walks," she says, "At my age, it wouldn't be pretty to fall!" Jan took to marathon training like a tabby cat to water. "You didn't tell me there were hills!" she'd admonish after more than one long walk. But she never quit and she never quit taking on hills. She even turned into a cheerleading squad of one for 72 year old Dorothy McBarron who she met in her training group. "You know," she told me in confidence, "some of the walks were really hard on Dorothy. I'd call her up and I could tell she was really tired. I'd say 'you can do it, Dorothy'! And you know, she really is going to finish that marathon!" And there you have it, the wisdom of someone who knows that life may be a bowl of chocolates, but you aren't necessarily going to like all the flavors. In the end, attitude is what really matters. "I've learned you can do what you set your mind to do," says Jan with an assured tone. "I'm a strong willed person and I don't give up easily. I don't stay down, I'm too, hyper!" To others she says simply, "You can do it!"

Jan (r) with her coach at the finish line Despite being hospitalized a couple weeks prior to the 2004 Portland Marathon, Jan managed to finish strongly and with the required Women Walk the Marathon® smile! Although she's not so sure another marathon is in her future, she plans to rejoin the program in 2005 for the walks, the comrades and the inspirition. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) describes a list of progressive lung diseases which include emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma. It afflicts an estimated 16 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death for people ages 65-84. By the year 2020, it is estimated that COPD will become the third leading cause of death. While exercise was once considered a negative for people with the condition, we now know that appropriate exercise increases air flow for those with COPD, decreases symptoms like shortness of breath, decreases the incidence of complications like, frequent upper respiratory infections and improves mental function. The number one recommended exercise for people with COPD is . . . WALKING!

Dimitri and mom, Krystal, complete the Portland Marathon 2004 comfortably and confidently!! Asperger Syndrome belongs to the family of conditions that are called autism. Most people with Asperger Syndrome are fairly high functioning, often possessing a normal IQ and, in some cases may exhibit an exceptional talent or skill in a particular area. The condition appears to be more common in males. Among the characteristics may be motor delays, clumsiness, and difficulty adjusting to transitions or changes, and difficulty in social situations. Families with members who have Asperber's Syndrome may draw strength and confidence from Dimitri's acomplishments. Some communities have support groups available which can be very helpful for one with this condition. For more information, a web search will yield a great deal.

Dimitri Ashling Imagine yourself with no ego. Not the "swelled head" kind of ego, but the kind that interprets social signals, the cues of how you fit in with other people. Imagine not knowing how to start or keep a conversation going, how to make friends or not knowing where your personal space ends and some else's begins. Imagine strangers yelling at you at a bus stop because they think you're staring or, maybe they think you're not making enough eye contact! Welcome to the world of Asperger Syndrome, the world that Dimitri Ashling, 3-time marathon finisher, lives in. Dimitri came to Women Walk the Marathon® (remember it's COED!) four years ago at his mother, Krystal's urging. She had been a part of the class and was completely inspired by what marathon training had done for her. "She's been my coach," he says, "she's been a real inspirational to me." Although Dimitri was impressed by his mother's first marathon, he wasn't inspired to take up the sport right away. "I didn't want to do it!" But, if you haven't met Krystal, you don't really know the infectious power of her enthusiasm. By the third year of marathon training, Krystal had her son hooked and he signed up for the clinics. The first year, he was a part of Sharon Lowell's training group. Though surrounded by women, he was able hold his own and make some friends. "At the end of the year, it felt like we had all leaders and no followers because we were that close!" Last year, finish time was a goal. Dimitri and Krystal wanted to finish in around 6-hours. "Coach Mom" decided they could do that if they trained with a combination of walking and running. "My mom is really into running, much more than I am. We trained last year to walk and run the marathon. I learned that I'm able to do a lot more than I thought I could. We were able to keep up the walk/run pattern for 20 miles and then, in Seattle, for 22 miles! Dimitri has completed three Portland Marathons and a basketful of half marathons from Avenue of the Giants in California to Sauvie Island and Vancouver, B.C. plus, too many shorter events to keep track of! Though he says he's a reluctant athlete, his mom reports that it was he who turned 'coach' and helped her stay on track while recovering from a recent illness. Over the years, Dimitri, now 36, has improved his fitness as he has walked with many different groups during training. Each group has opened up to him and helped him overcome some of the challenges of relating with people. "I've learned that other people can be very understanding. When groups walk on the weekends when there isn't a scheduled training walk, they include me and that helps me keep up on my training. And, since I don't drive, I've always been able to find a ride when I need one." And, we've learned a lot from Dimitri, too. Personally, I've learned from coaching Dimitri to listen more and to see the world with new perspective. I asked him once what he saw as the challenges for him of coping with Asperger Syndrome. "I don't perceive it as a challenge," he told me, "because I don't know how it is without Aspergers, . . . if you get my point." "Yup, I get your point," I think, smiling. We can all learn a lot, like, there really is no way to quantify the human spirit. Most of our gifts are a secret even to ourselves until we reach inside to know our true character and possibilities. Limits are largely artificial designs of our own making. We really have no way to know in advance what victories may lie in our life path. In the end, it's the journey that's the best part.Asberper Syndrome.

©2004 Ellie J. Hodder. All rights reserved.
Reproduction prohibited without written permission.