I Am A Runner

by Jorge Romero

My adventure began almost two years ago. One evening I was showing some friends the photographs I took on our last trip to Disney World. When we all saw a photo where I am with my son in front of Cinderella castle, everyone was speechless. No one knew what to say. It was evident, it was undeniable. The way I had abandoned myself, the lack of self-esteem, all the pounds I had won the last three years were clearly seen on that photograph.

I felt so ashamed of myself I turned off the camera. It was enough; I had gone too far, I needed to take action immediately. I decided it was time to return to exercise. I spent the following week with the intention of waking up early and going out to run, but that remained only as an intention.

That weekend the WDWToday podcast was having a live show. While I was listening, Mike Scopa and Michelle Scribner-MacLean began talking about a team they were creating with Deb Wills called Team AllEars. At that moment I knew I wanted to be part of it. After reading Michelle’s blog about her first half marathon and several Mike Scopa’s blogs about running at Disney, I was convinced I had to run someday trough Disney World and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

While I was listening to the show I went into the Disney sports web page and signed up for the half marathon. I told my wife right away and she told me I was crazy. (Recently, she confessed me that at that moment (and the following months) she was very concerned, she was afraid that with my obesity and the lack of fitness I had I might had a heart attack).

Then the hard work began, suddenly that hesitation was transformed into determination and I can tell you that in the nine months leading to the Disney World half marathon 2010 I didn´t skip a single running session I had scheduled on my training plan. That determination was possible with the support and motivation of my family and my Team AllEars team mates.

Because of the distance that comes from living in another country that motivation was only possible thanks to the team Team AllEars Facebook group. That was the place where friendships were born, the place where novice runners found answers to all of their doubts. There were days where I felt like I was going nowhere, where I felt I was not going to be able to achieve the fitness to run 13 miles but there was always someone to encourage me and tell me it was possible.

Then 20 days before leaving for Disney World I was laid off. It was a very difficult time for me; it was the first time in my life that something like that had happened to me. I was very worried and almost canceled my half marathon trip. I was supposed to go with my wife and kids but in the end I had to go solo. Those days where the most difficult ever.

Finally the day arrived and I left my wife and kids to finish what I started 9 months before. I already had lost 35 pounds and I felt like I was ready. I was so nervous when I arrived late to the Yee Haw Bob meet at Port Orleans, I’ve always been kind of shy and meeting new people has never been a skill in me, let alone meeting new people that didn’t speak my native language. When I arrived I first saw Michelle, and then Mike, Suzanne, Tacey, Jamison, Julie and Melanie and Matt Hochberg from the WDWToday podcast was also there with his wife, Marissa. It was so surreal; I was so nervous but then it was as if we had known each other forever, just a group of friends meeting again after not seeing each other for a while.

I successfully ran my half marathon it was a great feeling. The satisfaction from achieving that goal was priceless, but just as rewarding was the journey in which I met the wonderful people of Team AllEars. All the healthy new habits I’d formed (exercising at least four days a week, eating healthy, all the running knowledge I gathered) and how all of this changed my life so dramatically is something I would have never imagined. I am now a better person, friend, father, husband and even a much more efficient employee. I am different now, I am a new better, improved version of my former self “¦ I am a runner.

If you’re planning on running a Walt Disney World race in January 2012 and you’d like to join Team AllEars® in the fight against breast cancer, please email Michelle at [email protected].