The only road longer than the one Sevastopol graduate Max Krohn will be running on Oct. 24 when the Fall 50 kicks off from Gills Rock is the one he had to take to get there.
It was only four years ago that Krohn was skiing in Colorado when a freak accident left him with a spinal trauma injury that temporarily paralyzed him from the neck down. Doctors told him he could walk again if he followed his rehabilitation plan closely, but there was also a chance that his last steps were behind him.
Even reading notes of encouragement had to be done in doses because of the pain that would ensue if he got too worked up. Krohn eventually walked out of the hospital, and he has since completed the Door County Triathlon, two marathons and other distance events.
During his training runs, Krohn says it is hard not to think about what could have been if he had stopped doing his rehabilitation or if his injuries had been even more significant.
Krohn now has his eyes set on the Fall 50, which takes runners from Gills Rock to Sturgeon Bay on hilly terrain that many divide up among friends and family. Krohn will try to run the full distance himself, with extra meaning behind his miles as he tries to raise $20,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Door County and its healthy living initiatives.
It is an organization near and dear to his grandpa Dave Resch’s, heart after 20 years of service. Krohn says his grandpa’s stories and his interactions with club officials and members will give him plenty of motivation to get outside and run.
Resch is proud of his grandson for adding altruism to his running.
“To see Max use his remarkable journey to give back to an organization that does so much for the young people in our community makes me especially proud.”
Fundraising efforts will officially begin in the coming days, but you can always contact the Boys & Girls Club of Door County to pledge your support.
