In the spring of 2019 my wife and I lost our youngest son to suicide, and then the following November I suffered a brain stem stroke. 2019 was a devastating year. Counselling certainly helped; i grieved (still do), but I was also thankful that I was still able to walk and run. With the exception of some issues with my voice, my body was still fully functional. So, I decided to do something positive. I joined a local gym, with the determination to improve my health. I had signed up to walk a charity 5k that spring, and became inspired to actually try running it. I did a search for some kind of app to help me on this journey, and found N2R. I had no idea it was a new app. I was just glad to find something. N2R was just what I needed. It wasn’t too demanding, and allowed me to progress a little at a time. Because of Covid, the fitness center closed and the 5K was cancelled. But, I decided to keep running. The following November, near the first anniversary of my stroke, I ran my first 5K. Since then, I have run many more 5Ks, a 10K, 2 6Ks, and four half marathons. You don’t have to race to enjoy running; I just consider each completion of a race one more victory and a sign that life does go on after loss. I will never get over the loss of my son, but I like to believe he would be proud of me for working to keep physically, mentally, and spiritually fit. Now, five years later, at the age of 69, I am still running and signed up for my first marathon scheduled May 10, 2025. Thank you, Mark Kennedy, for being a part of my journey to wholeness.