#R4Z

My story starts on July 8, 2010, my first summer before freshman year at a new high school, Kickapoo High School, in a new town, Springfield, MO. I decided to play on the football team my freshman year to connect with other new students (never played football before = bad decision), and summer "two-a-days" was my first experience with my new high school. My very first day, during summer workouts, I made my first friend at Kickapoo and little did I know where that relationship would take us, and the journey to come. My first friend ever at the new high school was Zach Winter, the only teammate to come up to me and extend a hand on my first day at the football practice, and he asked to be my friend. After this day, I just knew we would hit it off, and so we did...


Throughout high school we would always be together, and I mean always. Whether it was hanging out after school, letting our parents know we "know everything" because we are in high school, going on double dates, playing sports together, going to the gym together, or anything else we could come up with; we were always together. As time went on, our relationship grew and we were best friends. During our senior year of high school, Zach went on a college tour with me, and my family, to Missouri State University in early October. After that tour, Zach and I both decided MSU would be our home after Kickapoo. We quickly applied to MSU, got accepted, and had ULTRA senioritis at Kickapoo; ready for our next chapter in our lives to start. Little did we know what would be in store for the Spring following our college visit.....



May of 2013 things turned downhill, fast. Zach began having terrible, vigorous headaches that would not stop. He tried to keep up with our weekly taco bell runs, going to various friends houses, and being the kids we were, but his pain was so intense he couldn't help but stay in his own house. That month, a week before graduation, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that only 2% of all kids have...that was cancerous. He was never able to walk in his high school graduation that week, because immediate surgery had to take place to remove the first of many tumors that would develop over the years. 



Two years later, after battling two other tumors, he was able to attend college for one semester, and boy did we make the most of college during that one semester. We continued the high school tradition of always being together and my best friend was even able to pledge Sigma Nu (how awesome is that?). Also, we might have discovered what the word "partying" means that semester, but that's a story for another time. Bottom line is, you have those weeks, months, or years where life is just going perfect, and it feels that everything is right where it should be. This is how it felt with Zach in college, everything was perfect. However, just when that feeling hit, and when that semester came to an end, things got hard, really hard. Right at the end of the semester another tumor came back in the same spot as before, and stronger than ever.......



The next couple of years was a constant fight from hospital to hospital...surgery to surgery...battle to battle. The one thing that stayed true through all of it? The hope that Zach Winter kept true to his heart, that one day he will be cancer free. The hope that one day he will be able to be a "normal college student". The hope that one day he would be able to be with his best friend again... He kept going, he kept the motivation at his lowest points, he pushed through the multiple surgeries, and most importantly he NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING. 



Through the journey he made connections with others across the world. His positivity was contagious, and his fight for freedom was inspiring. He was a role model, and a blessing in disguise to everyone he touched. Zach was a leader, an amazing friend, and he was always a man anyone could look up to. Sometimes, in life, we get caught up with work, business, and busy tasks, but we don't realize the big picture. In this moment, in Zach's journey, he realized the big picture, and he realized that God embarked him on a journey, a hard, long journey, but he always kept his faith that God had a reason for this journey. We may never know that reason until our afterlife, however, I'm pretty positive his journey on this earth was to make it a better place day every day by blessing us with his personality, with his motivation to fight, and touching the lives of those he passed.



Zach's journey ended on August 14, 2016 when Zach Winter became one of God's most special angels in the sky. A hard day for all of his friends and family, but I know that God always has a plan for each of us and a special one for Zach.

I am running St. Jude's Half-Marathons to raise money for all of the kids that have to take on this horrible disease known as cancer. I want everyone to have a shot in life to reach the next chapter, whether that be a child's first day at school, a teenager going to the high school prom, a senior deciding where they wanted to go to college, or any life goal one wants to meet, and is stopped because of cancer. I want everyone to have the opportunity to create their journey throughout life, and St. Jude has allowed so many children to have that opportunity through their fight for cancer research.



Please consider donating to this cause, and please know that all proceeds will be sent directly to St. Jude through my #R4Z St. Jude Page. I run two half-marathons each year (Memphis St. Jude Weekend (December) & Nashville Rock'N Roll St. Jude (April), raising money for St. Jude during each event and in memory of my best friend, Zach Winter. I will be using the hashtag #R4Z (Running 4 Zach) to spread and share the message on any social media platform. I ask that you please help donate any way you can to the kiddos and share the message that comes with saving lives by using #R4Z. 



Thank you for taking your time to read this, I will leave you with Zach's favorite quote:



"Some days are better
some days are worse


look for the blessing
instead of the curse


be positive, stay strong,
and get enough rest


you can't do it all
but you CAN DO YOUR BEST"



Events / Runs Completed and/or In Progress for St. Jude:


12/02/2017 - St. Jude Memphis Marathon


$555.00 out of $500.00 Goal



04/28/2018 - Nashville Rock N' Roll St. Jude


$505.00 out of $500.00 Goal



12/01/2018 - St. Jude Memphis Marathon


$1,025.00 out of $1,000 .00Goal 

04/27/2019 - Nashville Rock N' Roll St. Jude

$500.00 out of $500.00 Goal

09/14/2019 - St. Jude Springfield Walk/Run

$1,450.00 out of $1,000.00 Goal

12/07/2019 - St. Jude Memphis Marathon

$670.00 out of $600.00

04/01/2020 - Nashville Rock N' Roll St. Jude

$540.00 out of $500.00

09/26/2020 - St. Jude Springfield Walk/Run

$735.00 out of $500.00

09/25/2021 - St. Jude Springfield Walk/Run

$50.00 out of $500.00

Total Raised: $6,030 Raised for St. Jude