In an impressive display of determination, fortitude and heart, Bodie Olmos completed his very first marathon — a 26.2 mile one — in less-than-hospitable Los Angeles weather.
Mr. Olmos finished the L.A. Marathon amidst cold temps, wind gusts of up to 20 mph, and heavy rain — in some places, the water was reported to be ankle-deep. Unofficial results show his finishing time at 03:23:05 and his overall place at 577th amongst an estimated 26,000 runners and walkers.
As he ran, an absolutely stunning display of generosity took place, the donations for his fund-raising efforts to benefit the American Cancer Society skyrocketing to more than $10,000. For a solid hour, the total literally rolled over on every refresh of the browser in a testament to the natural giving nature of the human heart.
Beginning in the early hours of Sunday, the fund-raising efforts received props from Bodie's father, acclaimed actor and celebrated activist Edward James Olmos. The elder Mr. Olmos, to whom this site is dedicated, called on his Twitter and Facebook followers to donate and cheered on the giving as Bodie neared the end of the race, calling for donors to push the total over $10,000 for cancer research — and they did with amazing speed!
Bodie's father informed him of the rising total then passed along the following in a tweet: "He's so grateful 2 all when I told him where we were!" When he informed Bodie that the total had surpassed the $10K mark, he followed up with: "BODIE SENDS HIS LOVE TO ALL!"
Right back at ya, Bodie! Well done and congratulations on a completing your dream!
And many, many thanks for letting your dream fuel the hope of others!
Addendum
Oh, and you can still donate if you want! Just visit Bodie's Active.com donation page.
