Yasir Salem – The Race of His Life!

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Hello “Feel Good” Runners!

Happy March and hope you are reaching all your running goals thus far this year. It is coming up on spring race season with several full and half-marathons over the next three months. It is tough running during the winter, but soon all that hard work will pay off.

Well this episode will be an extended version. Yasir Salem is my guest and he is in the race of his life. Last year, he lost his wonderful, beautiful and talented wife Gweneviere Mann to lung cancer. This story is so much more. Gweneviere survived a brain tumor several years back when they were just dating. During the surgery, she suffered a complication which affected her memory. We discuss the effects and recovery process in-depth during our conversation. The lung cancer on the other hand, came on suddenly last year and spread rapidly and she lost her battle just a few short months later.

Yasir is now running 50 marathons in 50 weeks in all 50 states to honor her. And…through this he is bringing awareness to cancer and to the Gweneviere Mann Foundation that they formed just prior to her passing. They both ran marathons together, a passion they discovered and shared during her recovery from brain surgery. So what better way for Yasir to bring awareness to such a devastating disease such as cancer by doing something extraordinary in a sport they both loved.

As a side note, Yasir was a competitive eater and was in the top ten of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest and several year title holder of the Tour de Donut bicycle race. Listen to find out more about that!

This entire conversation is relevant to this incredible love story between Yasir and Gweneviere. And please check out the links below, especially the Committed Podcast. Gweneviere and Yasir discuss her brain surgery and the effect from it in this very well done podcast. Shortly after they recored this podcast early last year, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. You will get to know and hear the story first hand from them both.

A few weeks ago I was in Honolulu to attend the Great Aloha Run Expo to promote the Maui Marathon. I also ran the race on Monday February 18th, which was a 8.2 mile run from Aloha Tower and finishing inside the Aloha Stadium. This is the same stadium were the annual Pro-Bowl was before they decided to bring it back to the mainland. What a great run and an honor to run with so many of our fine service men and women. If you are ever in Honolulu in February, consider doing this run. You and 16,000 of your closest friends will have a great time!

The main item I talk about is running shoes. Yes running shoes. Does it drive you nuts when you find a pair of running shoes that you really like that fit perfectly on your feet and then the next version comes out and they change it entirely? Well it does me! And I scour the Internet to scarf up a couple pairs before they disappear.

Since we do not have a running or sports store on Maui, I purchase mine on-line from Road Runner Sports. They have an excellent return policy which you can try them for 90 days and return if they are not working. And if you live in a market where there is a physical Road Runner Sports store, they recently introduced a new technology to find the perfect running shoe…the 3D Fit Drone.

Finally, I briefly talk about the woman’s running self-defense class coming up on March 30th at Powerhouse Gym here on Maui. Instructor Tasha Ina Church will teach it. And of course, most of you do not live here on the island of Maui so I am going to bring Tasha to you. She is my guest for the next episode. It is a great conversation and ladies you definitely do not want to miss it. That will be out around March 15th. And guys be sure to share the episode with all the female running friends in your life.

Due to the length of this episode, I did not include an inspirational running quote. However, I did include one at the end of the show notes below. I will resume next episode.

So enjoy this episode and please share it on social media and with all your running friends!

Please be sure you get on the Email list for our periodic newsletter! I appreciate each and every one of you that listen to my podcast!

And as always…remember to just show up and always, ALWAYS feel good about YOUR running!

~Jim

 

Jim’s Opening

Great Aloha Run

Tasha Ina Church – Self Defense Instructor

Lindsey Hein – I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast

Road Runner Sports – Website – Shoe Dog 

3D Foot Drone Technology Article – Anny H. Ruth – Writer

Contact – Feel Good Running to get on the list for the periodic Newsletter!

 

 

News Segment

Ida Rei – Crawling to the relay transition point – World of Buzz – Article – Video

Sarah Hites – Running with a Goat – Writer – Danielle Zickl – Runners World On-Line

 

Yasir Salem

Inspirational Running Quote

This quote is for Yasir in honor of Gweneviere. Terry Fox who lost a leg to cancer ran across Canada starting in 1980. However, he only made it 3,000 miles and had to stop because the cancer spread. He passed away shortly after. Terry Fox is a legend and definitely set an example. And today, Yasir is setting that example in honor of his wife Gweneviere!

“I want to set an example, that will never be forgotten” —Terry Fox

 

Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe to the Feel Good Running on Apple Podcasts and please give us a nice rating and if you feel really motivated leave a review! Oh we are now on Spotify!

The post FGR #8 | Yasir Salem – The Race of His Life! appeared first on Feel Good Running Podcast.

About the Host, Jim Lynch

Thank you for listening to my podcast. I'm a long time "Feel Good" runner myself completing 101 Marathons and a certified 50 State finisher having completed a marathon in all 50 states plus DC.

I am the Race Director of the Maui Marathon and former Vice President of the Valley Isle Road Runners on the island of Maui, a certified RRCA Running Coach and now a recognized Podcaster!

Running is my passion and has really defined my life. With all the support over the years I have personally received from volunteers from all the races I have done, I would like to give back.

The "Feel Good Running" podcast is for the everyday runner. If you are a long time runner, fairly new to running or even just thinking about running, I hope to appeal to you and bring you inspiration and motivation with my guests and my many years of running experience. I hope to be one of your go to running podcasts for years to come.

If you like my podcast, please share it with your running friends and on your Social Media platforms. And a nice rating and review on Apple Podcast would be appreciated!

Thank you for listening and I hope you too will become a "Feel Good Runner" yourself! ~ Jim

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2 Comments

  1. Cindy Eyler on 03/04/2019 at 9:42 PM

    Thanks for your interest in Gwen and Yasir’s story… and for having Yasir on your show. I appreciate the support you are giving Yasir in his love-driven efforts to honor my sister. Your sincerity and caring means a lot.

    Reply
    • Jim Lynch on 03/05/2019 at 5:54 PM

      Hi Cindy,

      Thank you. It was a honor to meet Yasir and have a conversation with him. He is an amazing man. Even more I am humbled to have had the opportunity to get to know who Gwen was. She was a wonderful person with so much life and talent that left this earth way too early. I hope others find the same as they listen.

      Jim

      Reply

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