“Run in the sun; walk in the shade.” That was John Stumbo’s strategy during the Daybreak Alliance Church’s 5K fundraiser July 19, the U.S. Alliance president’s first race in seven years—run coincidently on the hottest day yet in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. As John told reporter Chris Davis of the local ABC affiliate, he was able to run about 60 percent of the race and walk the remainder, a milestone in his recovery from a debilitating illness that left the former marathoner in a wheelchair and unable to swallow for nearly two years.
John developed a love for running after taking up the sport with his daughter. He began participating in ultra-marathons in Oregon and qualified for the Boston Marathon. But before he was able to take on that ultimate challenge, he was stricken with a muscle-wasting disease that has yet to be definitively diagnosed.
The results of the 5K were sorted by age and gender, with John finishing 33rd among the 46 men who entered. John crossed the finish line with Julia Jacobs, the daughter of Ric Jacobs, Daybreak’s associate lead pastor. “I felt that was very appropriate,” John said, “since I first started running with my own daughter.”
The event raised money for the Great Commission Fund, which supports Alliance international workers who minister to the spiritual and physical needs of lost and disenfranchised people around the world.