Anyone who knew Joseph "Uncle Joe" Diaz knew that his second love, next to the church, was Disney/Disneyland. As a runner, I respected that, through his love of Disney, he caught the long-distance bug. I was very impressed and proud of his accomplishment of successfully completing the Disney Half Marathon. After he did so, I noticed a renewed dedication to walking, and would routinely see him out in the community completing his 10-mile+ training sessions.
Unfortunately, in 2018, Uncle Joe lost his marathon of a battle with esophageal cancer. His effort was long and sustained; a fight that would make anyone interested in long-distance events proud. Because his life was cut tragically short, he was unable to attempt completion of a full marathon. I have signed up for the 2019 LA Marathon and plan to run, not just to honor him by running the distance he was unable to, but also to raise money for the American Cancer Society to support their efforts in combatting this terrible disease.
If Uncle Joe would have beaten his illness I wholeheartedly believe he would have done the same, and I know his spirit will be with me on race day.
Join me, and together we all can go the distance in the battle against cancer. Thank you.