Crusade Against Cancer
One person who sets the standard for Growing Bolder is a man named Bob Becker.
We interviewed him for The Growing Bolder Radio Show back in 2007. At the time, he was 62, just a year out from battling prostate cancer, with a steel rod in his leg. He'd only been running for five years, but Becker transformed himself into an ultra-marathoner, smashing stereotypes and leading the way for others.
We were so inspired by Becker's message and his passion for fighting cancer, we asked him to become a Growing Bolder Thought Leader.
And he's not slowing down -- take a look at the letter we just received from Bob!
One in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Early detection increases survival rate and quality of life, but many men do not have access to life saving screenings that can identify the disease. As a South Florida athlete and prostate cancer survivor, I’ve been trying to do something about it, raising funds and raising awareness in connection with the races I run and those I produce.
My name is Bob Becker. I’m 63, and a resident of Fort Lauderdale. I arrived late as a distance runner, not competing in my first marathon until June 2002. Following the Boston Marathon in ‘03, I upped the ante, celebrating my 60th birthday by competing in the Marathon des Sables, a 150 mile stage race in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Although I suffered a fractured femur after mile 115, I was hooked on competing in “ultramarathons”. In rapid succession after surgery and recovery, I began running 50 and 100-mile races, had surgery again following my own diagnosis of prostate cancer, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and competed successfully in the Badwater Ultramarathon 135 mile race in Death Valley, CA in July 2008.
My company, UltraSports, LLC, was developed to combine my love of running with a desire to help fight prostate cancer, which also felled my father. UltraSports currently produces two events, the PALM100 in Fort Lauderdale and the KEYS100 in the Florida Keys. The inaugural PALM100 is March 28, but this Saturday , February 28, I will be running the complete 100 mile route solo, from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach and back. If interested in the background and reasons for this solo effort, please read the attached release, or contact me directly anytime, at 954-439-2800, or bob@ultrasportsllc.com. Race websites are www.palm100.com or www.keys100.com.
We'd love to hear how YOU are Growing Bolder! Leave us a comment, share your story, and we'll be happy to feature you on our homepage, our Insider newsletter and more.My name is Bob Becker. I’m 63, and a resident of Fort Lauderdale. I arrived late as a distance runner, not competing in my first marathon until June 2002. Following the Boston Marathon in ‘03, I upped the ante, celebrating my 60th birthday by competing in the Marathon des Sables, a 150 mile stage race in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Although I suffered a fractured femur after mile 115, I was hooked on competing in “ultramarathons”. In rapid succession after surgery and recovery, I began running 50 and 100-mile races, had surgery again following my own diagnosis of prostate cancer, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and competed successfully in the Badwater Ultramarathon 135 mile race in Death Valley, CA in July 2008.
My company, UltraSports, LLC, was developed to combine my love of running with a desire to help fight prostate cancer, which also felled my father. UltraSports currently produces two events, the PALM100 in Fort Lauderdale and the KEYS100 in the Florida Keys. The inaugural PALM100 is March 28, but this Saturday , February 28, I will be running the complete 100 mile route solo, from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach and back. If interested in the background and reasons for this solo effort, please read the attached release, or contact me directly anytime, at 954-439-2800, or bob@ultrasportsllc.com. Race websites are www.palm100.com or www.keys100.com.
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