A Star Wars fan has completed a nine month marathon mission, walking across Australia dressed as a storm-trooper for charity. He has so far raised 100,000 dollars for the starlight foundation.
Exclusive footage of Loddy running to honor his friend
After his close friend died from a rare cancer, Matthew Loddy immediately raced into action.
The 46-year-old British businessman, who had no previous running experience, set out to complete 100 marathons, in 100 days in honor of his buddy Phil Latham who died from stomach cancer, NBC reports.
Three hospital stints and 2,620 miles later, Loddy completed his journey on Sunday when he crossed the finish line in London.
“Hopefully, he’s up there looking down thinking, it’s a good job done,” Loddy told NBC.
The father of two told the Daily Mail that the inspiration for his journey came from talks he had with Latham in the hospital.
When his friend’s health was improving, Loddy and Latham talked about participating in a charity walk for young cancer sufferers. But when Latham’s condition took a turn for the worse, Loddy made a promise to complete their mission –- and take it thousands of miles further.
“What’s going to happen with this sponsored walk? [I] I’ll have to do it myself,” Loddy joked to his friend before he passed away, according to the news outlet. “Then I changed it to 100 marathons in 100 days finishing in England.’”
Loddy started his journey in Portugal and made his way through Spain and France, NBC reports. In addition to clocking in 2,620 miles, Loddy hopes to raise 100,000 pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that aims to improve the quality of life for young people battling cancer and St Francis Hospice in Berkhamsted, where Latham was treated before he died in 2010 at age 36, according to Loddy’s fundraising site.
“I’m immensely proud of Matthew’s commitment and absolute guts,” Latham’s widow, Karen, told the Daily Mail. “Phil would be so proud of what Matthew is doing not only in his name but in that of our daughters Holly and Evie.”
At 3:09:33, according to his fundraising site, Loddy’s final marathon of the tour was his fastest yet.
Learn how you can help Loddy complete the charity portion of his mission here
The world premiere for Alive Inside will be April 18th at the Rubin Museum in New York City.
A Message from the Filmmaker:
When I saw what Dan was doing, I was so moved I spent over a year following him. It has been a mind-blowing odyssey. No project I have ever worked on has changed me as much as this story. It is my hope that this film awakens people’s hearts and helps make it possible to bring music to those in nursing homes, people who don’t even know how deeply they need music’s gifts.
Music has great lessons to teach us about what it means to be human; I learned this from the sweet and vulnerable souls I met making this film.
– Michael Rossato-Bennet
One could say that Pat Summitt has forever changed the game of College Basketball…..but now Summitt, who has been at the helm of the Tennessee Lady Vols storied program, has been forced to step-down. Summitt, just 59 years old was diagnosed 8 months ago with early onset dementia/Alzheimer’s. Summitt coached her Lady Vols this season as best as she could, having good days and bad days with her team.
Pat made Tenneesse what it is today, winning 1,098 games, the most ever by an NCAA basketball coach in either the men’s or women’s game and of course her eight national championships, the most recent in 2008. When Pat assumed leadership of the program in 1974 she earned just $8,900 – talk about for love of the game.
Dear Friends,
With 30 days remaining and $44,000 contributed, I thank you for every dollar raised so far. WE NEED YOUR HELP to reach our goal of $50,000! As “Papa” has always selflessly and willingly offered his time and care to children over the past 50+ years, this is our opportunity to give back!
We want to take this opportunity to update you on the Run4Papa campaign to raise funds for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) research. As you may know, I am running the Great Wall of China Marathon on behalf of his grandfather, Dr. Louis “Papa” Heyman, and EVERYONE who is battling PPA. PPA is a form of dementia wherein people lose the ability to communicate and comprehend language over time.
Over the past 300 days, I have been training and running races in 9 different states, from the sunset cliffs in San Diego to the mountains in 
Denver through our nation’s Capital and in water along the lakes of Michigan. All these roads are leading him to the Great Wall of China. He has run 5K’s, 8K’s, 10K’s, Half Marathons, Mud Runs, and even a Tower Race where he Hustled up the Hancock(climbing 94 Flights of stairs). Jason’s unorthodox training methods have logged him over 500 miles for THE CAUSE.
As a result of this extraordinary journey, I ran side-by-side with and has been endorsed by the most prolific American Marathoner in history, Bill Rodgers, 4-time winner of the NYC and Boston Marathons. He has partnered with the #1 PPA research faciilty in the world –Northwestern University’s Cognitive Neurolgy and Alzheimer’s Disease Center — and is supported by the man who first identified PPA, Dr. Marsel Mesulam.
This campaign has had a local, national and international impact on patients and families around the world. We have received over 1,000 individual contributions from California to Florida as well as from the UK to New Zealand. On top of that, sponsors continue to join Run4Papa in an ongoing effort to create awareness of this debilitating disease.
100% of ALL donations will go directly to fund research and are fully tax-deductible.
Sincerely,
Jason
“I can probably say no one in the world has done so much to bring awareness to PPA research as you have done in the last 5 months.” – Kevin Connolly, Northwestern CNADC employee, Chicago, IL
We are flying out to the great state of TEXAS this weekend to run the BIG D Half Marathon in Dallas. This destination marks the 9th and final state Run4Papa will be visiting on this journey before heading out to the Great Wall of China Marathon in May!
This has been a unbelievable life-changing opportunity and we are greatly looking forward to running in what has been labeled “one of the most beautiful marathon courses you may ever run.”
And as we all know, EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS!
The Run4Papa campaign has heard you loud and clear! You asked for more footage during our races and now we have it for your viewing pleasure!
To read about the race, go to: Running in the World’s Largest 8K
To see photos, go to: Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Opedix is dedicated to developing revolutionary products that provide support, allowing the body to perform more efficiently with less wear and tear. Our products are conceived and developed within the medical and scientific world, and are tested using clinical research protocols.
When running and even walking, forces travel through the feet and up to the knees. These forces can push the knee joint to the outside and inside creating wear points within the knee joint where most of the “load” is borne. The Opedix Knee Support tights act to counter these forces and reduce the load. They were specifically developed for people who suffer from some knee discomfort, or just want to help preserve their knee function. Just listen to our customers and watch our video “Skiing & Your Knees.” You may be a runner, but this video will help you better understand how our product can help you with running and more.
Real Science. Real Evidence. Real Results. That’s Opedix.
An estimated 40,000 runner’s helped kick-off Chicago’s traditional rite of spring for the 33rd Annual Shamrock Shuffle 8K providing a celebratory atmosphere of a summer festival. Today was a day of first’s:
1. First time running without a race bib – we won’t say exactly why this ended up happening, but should you have any questions, please direct them to one Mr. Kevin Connolly
2. First time running with Opedix tights – generously donated from CEO Kim Gustafson. This product aligns the knee joint, distributing knee “load” by reducing knee pain as well as quadriceps fatigue.
3. First time running with a GoPro camera and CamelBak – you asked for footage during the race, and you will see it this weekend!
Unseasonably warm weather made for excellent running conditions. Running enthusiasts hit the start line at Grant Park as corral after corral were released into downtown Chicago. Passing by Trump Towers, Kevin and I made our way toward Mile 1 marker and stopped to give my parents a hug/photo op – no doubt immediately posted on Facebook by my father (post-race intel determined it was 3 mins afterward). Miles 2, 3 and 4 flew as we ran past the world-famous Chicago Theatre, over several Chicago river bridges and through Chicago’s “Loop,” staring down the Sears Tower with a mile-long stretch on famed State Street all while filming several minutes of footage at a time.
From the Chicago Sun-Times, “Finishing his first 8K run was downtown resident Donny Jekels, 46. He entered because ‘two years ago I couldn’t tie my shoelaces. I wasn’t fit and I thought that was a wakeup call.‘ He said he lost 30 pounds in 2 years, using exercise and watching his diet. The father-son running tandem of Mike and Mario Woods had their own friendly competition, which the 65-year-old dad from South Holland won.”
43 mins later, slightly behind Abdelaaziz Atmani of Indianapolis with a winning time of 23 mins 18 secs, Kevin and I finished the 4.97 mile trek with the promise of a free beer at Grant Park and music being played from a stage near Buckingham Fountain.
And what about the 3 First’s? Well…we didn’t get pulled off the course because the race was relatively laid back making for a fun run: check. The Opedix running pants definitely worked! The material was comfortable, my legs felt great, and it was clear that some pressure was being distributed away from the tough wear and tear zone of my knees: check, check. The film footage?….I wish I had thought of this sooner: check, check, check.
As for the post-race festivities, I will just leave it at this: checkmate!
To watch exclusive footage during the race, go to: Running through downtown Chicago
To see more photos, go to: Shamrock Shuffle 8K
The 2012 CNADC PPA Caregiver Conference was an important day for those of us with loved one’s battling PPA. We had the sharpest minds in the field educating us on how to help those we love the most. As the morning kicked off, my vending booth was prominently located and positioned side-by-side CNADC’s to help promote the Run4Papa campaign. My booth had 3 main exhibits: 1. A personal letter of endorsement from Dr. Marsel Mesulam 2. A computer with Run4Papa.com pulled up for attendees to view and learn more about THE CAUSE 3. The newly launched Running Shirt – an opportunity for EVERYONE battling PPA to have their loved one’s name on the back of my shirt for the Great Wall of China Marathon – a BIG HIT!
The conference exposure was heart-warming because I had the pleasure of meeting caregivers whose loved one’s were diagnosed with PPA. While there were plenty of new names and faces, there were plenty of people attending that were following THE CAUSE online through social media like Facebook and Twitter. On top of all that, the most emotional conversations (if I am allowed to be biased) took place when speaking with patients battling PPA, all of whom were enthusiastically encouraging the efforts of the Run4Papa campaign.
With 324 attendees, the conference was tailored to family caregivers as well as health care professionals. Dr. Marsel Mesulam, Director of the CNADC and the man who first identified PPA, graciously welcomed everyone to the conference. Following his introduction, a lecture on the state of PPA research and treatment by Northwestern physician and assistant professor of geriatrics was delivered by Dr. Diana Kerwin. Our keynote address on “Behaviors, Language and Communication” was presented by Dr. Geri Hall (from Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix), who has lectured and published widely on behavioral interventions and communication strategies in dementia, specifically PPA. The morning session ended with an interactive Q & A session from a panel of doctors and PPA caregivers. This opportunity provided audience members the ability to ask questions ranging from medical opinions, to family member reactions about PPA as well as expectations down the line for caregivers. When all the questions had been asked and answered, we broke for lunch and gave attendees more time to mingle amongst the vendors at the conference.
During the afternoon, the CNADC team organized 12 different breakout sessions for members to attend. Here were some of the choices:
a) Newly Diagnosed, Now What? b) Understanding Genetics in PPA c) Responding to Behavior and Personality Changes in PPA d) When is it Time? Identifying Options and Making Transitions for Care.
My parents split the meetings above while I attended the Support for Family Caregivers and Exploring Creative Art Therapies sessions. The caregiver session was unbelievably emotional because everyone shared their unique personal story. In the same respect, it was extremely helpful listening to everyone and learning how each person/family copes and adjusts to an ever-changing lifestyle of caregiving. Even though this was my first caregiver group experience, I could see the instant impact our dialogue was having on the faces around the table. One caregiver whose wife was diagnosed with PPA within the past couple years said, “I didn’t think I needed to come here before, because to be frank, I was in denial about my wife. This year, I realized that was a mistake. I will continue to come every year moving forward and attend the support groups for help and advice in the future.”
Similarly, the creative art therapy session was equally informative yet surprisingly entertaining. Through hands-on classroom activities, we learned how art, music and movement therapy help people diagnosed with PPA by maintaining their sensory and motor skills. The behaviors included expressing our inner thoughts by drawing pictures on paper, using hand gestures to communicate our emotions, and singing along to improvised songs instructing us to repeat specific lyrics.
As the breakout sessions finished, everyone headed back to the lecture hall for the conclusion of the conference. My What would you do for THE CAUSE? video was being shown and looped for roughly 15 mins on the big screen as everyone took their seats. Dr. Jennifer Medina concluded the day with her speech on “Stress and Caregiving: Mindfulness as a Coping Tool.”
I was so proud to share this day with my parents, family caregivers, patients, experts in the field-and of course-the CNADC team. The conference is an excellent resource for families and people fighting against PPA who want to be a part of a special team dedicated to finding treatment and a cure for this brutal disease.
If you couldn’t make it this year for whatever the reasons, please don’t miss it 364 days from now.
