Two Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) board members, Mark Booth and Andrew Creighton, recently held an interview to discuss their participation in the New York City Marathon.
The two men discussed their experiences related to training for the marathon, running in general and fundraising for the race, all of which they accomplished while living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). They see their role in the marathon as an extension of their leadership position with MJFF.
“It has been an incredible experience thus far,” Booth said. “I was diagnosed 15 years ago, and it is really a miracle to be in a position to run at all -- let alone a marathon. The amount of support, as you say, has been overwhelming. One of the blessings of having a persistent illness like PD is that you see the kindness and generosity of spirit in so many people.”
Though the two men stated that the challenges were significant in their training, they both focused on the rewards of their training.
“I actually don't like running that much, but doing the marathon was an incredible experience,” Creighton said. “Seeing all the support from friends and strangers and the Team Fox cheer stations along the way was amazing.”
