Danny Connolly will push his brother Brian in a wheelchair through the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City this Friday, a feat they've accomplished together 12 times before.
For the past four years, Brian Connolly has circled July 24 on his calendar: Pioneer Day in Utah. He'll awaken early in the morning and family members will use a motorized lift to move the 55-year-old retired physician's assistant from his bed to his wheelchair. The Deseret News Marathon starts at Mountain Dell Golf Course in Parleys Canyon, about 16 miles east of downtown Salt Lake City.
Brian Connolly has multiple sclerosis. Marathons, he said, are his "lifeline." "Having MS and I spend a lot of time in bed until someone can come get me up and take care of me. I need a lot of care, but doing this has been phenomenal for me," he said. "It actually, I think, helps my marriage … I think it's helping my mind stay bright, and it's helping me physically somewhat do something, and then socially."
Danny Connolly, a 48-year-old Park City electrician, has competed in more than 200 road and trail races, including marathons and ultramarathons. He has his own reason for running. "If I'm honest about it, do you want to know? You want to know something? I quit drinking, and I needed to fill that void," he said.
Since 2019, the brothers have completed 12 marathons together, including races in San Diego; Los Angeles; Mesa, Arizona; Arlington, Virginia, and Boston. Because of the pandemic, they weren't able to do another marathon for two years. Danny has also gained a new sense of purpose in teaming up with Brian.
The brothers' bond is evident in their determination to complete the marathon. Danny will grip the handle bars and start running when the starter's gun goes off in the 5:30 a.m. morning darkness. He'll push his brother for the next 26.2 miles, grinding up the course's early hills toward Big Mountain in his running shoes and jumping on the foot pegs for the downhill stretches through Emigration Canyon.
Brian was diagnosed with MS the summer before his sophomore year at East High School. His wife of 32 years, Julie, ran a marathon when they were in their 20s. He kept it on his list of possibilities but he wrote it off as his autoimmune disease worsened. He's been in a power wheelchair for the past 10 years.
The "chariot" racing chair, built by their brother-in-law Jared Madsen, will be used for the marathon. It has an elongated metal frame, tall handle bars at the back, and a hammock of sorts in the middle. The chair also has a steering system, foot pegs, and brakes.
Brian said his disability disappears for a bit while he's in a race. "It happens every every marathon that I'm on sort of a cloud nine and even after the marathon. I don't want the feeling to go away with the realization that I'm still having to deal with all my medical issues and everything that comes with it," he said.
The brothers will gather at Liberty Park to cross the finish line, a moment that will bring them closer together.
Source: Yahoo Sports