Operation Jack will be an attempt by Sam Felsenfeld to race at least one marathon a week in 2010 (61 total for the year) to generate attention that will raise funds and nationwide awareness for Train 4 Autism, an organization that works tirelessly to raise money for Autism charities.
Sam, with his wife of 11 years, Tiffany, is raising three children — Benjamin (9), Jack (6 1/2) and Ava (4 1/2). Jack, born September 16, 2003, was diagnosed with autism shortly after he turned 3, although he has been in constant therapy and treatment since before his second birthday. He is showing signs of progress, but has very limited speech and struggles with communication and social interaction.
After watching his son struggle day after day with his condition, Sam decided he wanted to do something to make a difference in his honor. His plan is Operation Jack. If Operation Jack succeeds, Train 4 Autism will grow and countless people living with autism — along with their relatives and friends — will benefit for years to come.
Achieving the unthinkable would be nothing new for Sam. After breaking his neck in a swimming-pool accident when he was 16, he was lucky to have use of his legs. Later, after taking terrible care of himself in college, his weight soared to 261 pounds. A former smoker, Sam started walking less than five years ago. Walking turned into slow jogging, and eventually, slow jogging turned into his first marathon.
Now, he’s completed 61 marathons and two ultramarathons, and has 23 Boston qualifiers and a personal-best time of 3:00:05. He knows that if he was able to work hard enough to complete this transformation, he can work hard enough to run 60 marathons in Jack’s honor. And he knows that as tough as Operation Jack might be, it’s nothing compared to the daily grind Jack suffers through as he battles the nasty neurological disorder he was born with.
You don’t have to run 60 marathons in one year to make a difference – every participant increases awareness of Train 4 Autism and there’s no contribution required. So, pick a race — there’s 60 of them — and join Sam to take part in Operation Jack!
