I was young at the time, and my memories of Jimbo are sparse but they are kept alive through stories. Jimbo was an incredible athlete, one of those naturally gifted people who could excel at anything - track & football in high school, College football at Southern Mississippi. He loved the outdoors, a driven kid from Miami, he found his spirit out West in the mountains of Colorado & the clear water of the Abacos in The Bahamas.

When I was young, my dad & Jimbo opened a restaurant in Wilmington, NC called 'The Faded Rose.' I remember running through this old brick building playing with my brothers and feeling the love & energy as my dad, Jimbo & my Uncle John all endeavored to build something together.

It wasn't long after that restaurant opened that Jimbo was diagnosed with ALS. Many stories of Jimbo are about his calm, strong demeanor and his stoic disposition. It's hard to come to terms with the reality that sometimes the strongest among us can be dealt the most difficult of verdicts. I often daydream of what our relationship would have been had Jimbo been given another hand, or if the research that is so desperately needed for ALS had accelerated and found breakthroughs at that time.

But at the same time I find grace in Jimbo's story. His impact on my father's life has shaped me into who I am today - and by sharing his story he is remembered.

Running a marathon is hard, and Jimbo did hard things. Every mile I run this November is dedicated to him and to the researchers, caregivers, and families still fighting this disease. If you're reading this, I hope you'll consider supporting the cause - not just for Jimbo, but for everyone still waiting on the breakthroughs he never got to see.