{"id":8189,"date":"2024-07-04T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-04T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8189"},"modified":"2024-07-04T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T14:30:00","slug":"veteran-keeps-pushing-forward-despite-als","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8189","title":{"rendered":"Veteran keeps pushing forward despite ALS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-07-04T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

John Pruett\u2019s first attempts at running in 2003 were met with dragging feet, gasping for air and little endurance. The first steps led to a new passion.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Veteran John Pruett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

With the support of his wife, Pruett became a competitive runner at age 42 by setting what he deemed to be the unrealistic goal of joining a running club and tackling marathons. Running became his passion, and the unrealistic became very much a reality when he completed 50 and 100-mile marathons, an Ironman and even a qualification for the historic Boston Marathon.<\/p>\n

Then 2021 happened<\/h2>\n

Derailed by mysterious symptoms, numbness, stiffness, slurred speech and loss of balance, Pruett found himself unable to run. The diagnosis: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that will steadily rob him of mobility and way of life.<\/p>\n

ALS\u00a0often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg and trouble swallowing. Eventually\u00a0it\u00a0affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure.<\/p>\n

Faced with his new reality, Pruett adapted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith ALS, you have a choice: Shrivel up and wait for the inevitable or move forward. I choose to move forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Push himself to new heights<\/h2>\n

With the help of VA and his medical team at North Texas VA<\/a>, Pruett learned to navigate his condition, finding ways to stay active and engaged. He discovered the world of adaptive athletics and realized he could still compete and still push himself to new heights.<\/p>\n

In November 2024, Pruett will line up at the New York City Marathon to run, but this time his run will look a little different. VA is working with Pruett to purchase a sort of racing wheelchair that he will sit in and be assisted by other runners to complete the marathon. Pruett will also be recognized for the five of six World Marathon Majors he completed before his diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Armed with an indomitable spirit, Pruett refuses to let ALS define him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what life throws your way, you always have the power to choose how you will respond. Keep pushing forward, no matter how horrendous things may seem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Navy Veterans John Pruett learned to navigate his ALS, staying active and engaged in the world of adaptive athletics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nVeteran keeps pushing forward despite ALS - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Navy Veterans John Pruett learned to navigate his ALS, staying active and engaged in the world of adaptive athletics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8189\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Veteran keeps pushing forward despite ALS - 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