Orange sherbet, the basement train set and pumpkin cookies are three wonderful memories I have with my nana. But things started to change with her – forgetting my name and becoming confused with typical daily tasks and activities. Nana was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease which progressed quickly and she passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s. The impact this had on our family will forever stick with me, as will Nana in our hearts.
My name is Jonathan Grimwood. I am a 23-year-old graduate student at Illinois State University, studying Exercise Physiology, who also provides pizza to the wonderful people of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois on the weekends. I first became interested in running in 2009, my junior year of high school, when my friend Derrick told me to come to cross country practice after the first day of school.
Being the irrational teenager that I was, I proceeded to quit my job the very next day and go to practice. Using the word “rough” to describe those first two weeks of practice would be an understatement. For some strange reason, I stuck with it. I fell in love with what running was doing for me, both mentally and physically. Something had finally come along to bump polar bears out of the number one spot of Jon’s favorite things.
Chicago Marathon volunteer
Our cross country team volunteered at the Bank of American Chicago Marathon in 2009. We were handing out water and Gatorade to participants at the 13.1 mile marker. The energy and excitement is what originally piqued my interest in races longer than 3.1 miles. I continued to run recreationally through the first few years of college at Illinois State, the occasional 5K or 10K.
In 2012, I volunteered with the medical staff at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. Seeing the determination of the participants as they crossed the finish line gave me chills. The constant support from friends and family as they exited the finisher’s chute struck my emotions more than I could have imagined.
Marathon participant
That solidified my decision to run and complete the Chicago Marathon in 2013, which changed my life in ways I wish I had more words to describe. It gave me so much confidence, mental strength, and appreciation of life that within a week of finishing my first one, I wanted to share this passion with others and complete another marathon. As cliché as it sounds, I knew I needed to do it for something much larger than myself.
The Alzheimer’s Association was the first organization that came to mind. I did have prior involvement with the Alzheimer’s Association. In the early 2000s, things started to change with Nana. It started out with forgetting my name, followed by playfully chanting, “Bill, Bob, Sam” to make a joke out of it. Nana then began to become confused with typical daily tasks and activities. It all seemed a little peculiar. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
During middle school, my mom, siblings and I would go visit Nana immediately after school in order to spend time with her and attempt to keep her memory fresh. Unfortunately the disease progressed very quickly, and in 2006 Nana passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s.
A personal connection
The impact this had on our family will forever stick with me, as will Nana in our hearts. Those daily trips we made to spend time with Nana gave us the opportunity to appreciate our time together and taught us to never take anything or anyone for granted.
It also gave me a first-hand look at the terrible things this disease does, slowly changing a person from the inside out. From that point forward, my family decided to help make a difference by getting involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for multiple years. Now, as a 23-year-old looking back at this experience, I knew it was time to become involved again.
Since the 2013 marathon, I have completed five half-marathons, a few 10-mile races and a triathlon, but I knew it was time to revisit the past. After deciding that 2016 was going to be the year of the next marathon, I was discussing it with my great friend Elizabeth Cook, who works for the Alzheimer’s Association. She mentioned that they have a running team for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon called the ALZ Stars. Since I was already familiar with the great things this organization does for the advancement of research and care for individuals with Alzheimer’s, I knew that it was the way to go.
Joining the ALZ Stars
My previous experiences with this organization proved how wonderful the people truly are. Elizabeth put me in contact with Sharri Scott in order to join the ALZ Stars team. There was not a doubt in my mind that running in the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is how I wanted to start making a difference.
From the second I joined the team, the entire ALZ Stars community opened up and accepted me right into the family. The passion behind all of the stories is truly inspiring. The support system is unrivaled and continues to make me more excited as every week of training goes by. The sense of commitment emanating from each team member really helps to form the sense of community, even though we are spread all over the country.
Being a part of this community helps drive me towards my goal of raising $2,000 for the race. While that number can be quite intimidating for any college kid, I have confidence that it is very achievable with the help of generous and loving people who want to help put an end to suffering and help researchers eventually find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
If this story touches only one person, I would still consider it a success. In the end, all that we have to continue moving this world forward is each other. All we can do is love, support, and help each other. Participating in the 2016 Chicago Marathon with the ALZ Stars on October 9 is how I hope to do this. I sure hope to see some of your wonderful faces there this October.
I am missing the last homecoming of my college career for this, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
http://www.optimumseniorcare.com/services/alzheimerscare.php