Cayman marathon participants share profound stories ahead of the race

Seaford Russell Jr | Cayman Compass | 30 November 2024

Some have come to win, others for a cause.  For the athletes at the start line of the Cayman Islands marathon this weekend, the reasons to run are as diverse as the participants themselves.

More than 1,000 runners from across the world will lace up for one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar, raising money for charity, honouring lost loved ones or simply fulfilling a lifelong goal.

The mega event, being held on Sunday, 1 Dec., has earned a reputation for welcoming hundreds of people – both residents and visitors – with many having heartwarming stories about why they run, and this year is no different.

Cayman has seen a major spike in young people succumbing to mental health battles and 15-year-old Saige Smith hopes to bring awareness to the matter when she runs the half marathon after several weeks of training with Ironshore Run Club and Scott Ruby.

“I run for my mental health and equally important is the fight against bullying; I am on a mission,” she said.

Brooke Fitzgerald says she wants to run to motivate and encourage her daughter to keep pushing through a rare genetic disorder that affects one in 10,000 people.

“[I am] training hard and getting stronger to keep supporting and lifting our daughter Violet, who has spinal muscular atrophy,” Fitzgerald said. “Violet works hard every day in therapy appointments so we can train hard too.”

Honouring those who have passed
Many runners take to the roads to keep their loved ones’ memories alive.

Daisy Morris, who will be flying in from Toronto, Canada, is running the half marathon in honour of her friend who was known in the Cayman community, who died last year.

“My dear friend Liesl Richter was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in the beginning of 2020 and passed away in October 2023 after a long battle,” Morris said. “She was incredibly loved by many and a wonderfully accomplished woman.

“My family and I are in Toronto and would come down as often as we could to see Liesl and her family. We will continue to make the trip down and run the marathon in her honour,” she added, noting that she will also be raising money for Jasmine which kept her friend comfortable through her battle.

Andre Vincent will be taking part in his second half marathon, although this time it is extra special. He’s running in honour of his younger sister, who died earlier this year.

She was his biggest cheerleader, he said, as he recalled last year when he told her that he wanted to run, she was beyond supportive – a memory that will fuel him on Sunday.

“Now she isn’t here physically but her support is a memory that will last forever and motivate me to keep doing it and try to improve my previous time,” Vincent said.

‘The Hobo Runner’
Though many runners have touching reasons for why they run, Ken Skrien may be in a category of his own.

Back in 2013, Skrien had rediscovered running and was enjoying it, until 15 April that year, when the very foundations of his life were shaken when he felt the shockwave from the Boston Marathon bombing.

Ken Skrien has run dozens of marathons with a smile on his face despite facing life-changing setbacks.
He noted that it took him a year to overcome “serious PTSD”. To make matters worse, two years later, on 19 Dec., Skrien was mowed down by a motorist in a horrific hit-and-run incident as he cycled home from work – causing a traumatic brain injury that plagues him to this day.

As a result of the TBI, Skrien lost his business that he had invested over a decade in building. He lost his home and many of those people who he thought were on his side turned their backs on him, not understanding what he was going through. He was in a financial freefall, he said, with food, shelter and all those little comforts he’d grown accustomed to becoming luxuries.

Skrien started hitchhiking to races and frequently led pace groups at them. As a result, he managed to complete about 150 marathons covering all 50 states in the US. He’s also writing a book called ‘The Hobo Runner’, saying the title pretty much sums up his life during those years – “a lot of hitchhiking and stealth camping”.

Today, Skrien’s life is 100% dependent on the kindness of random strangers. He has immersed himself in the running community which has become his family.

“By societal standards, I am a failure right now,” Skrien said. “I’m unemployable, my credit is a disaster, my health is even worse – far worse than I usually let on. By some standards, I have nothing.

“But by the important ones, I have everything. I decided a long time ago: I will always be happy. That is a choice I will continue to make, no matter what. And I’ve decided that being ‘different’ than the self I once thought I knew … it doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  This new me is 1,000 times better.”

He will be cashing in hotel points and airline miles in order to run the full Cayman marathon.

‘Running to retirement’
As for Karen O’ Dennis, who is visiting from Pennsylvania and running her third Cayman marathon, this event will celebrate two significant milestones.

“In 2014, this was my first half marathon, and I celebrated my birthday on December 4th,” she said. “The course and all things about the race were an awesome experience,” she added, noting that she returned the following year to run the four-person relay, also celebrating her birthday.

“In 2024, I will return again to do the half marathon and will be celebrating my retirement and birthday this time,” O’Dennis said. “I love this race, the people, the island and I know it will be another outstanding experience.”

Whatever place they finish on Sunday, the stories of these runners, and many more overcoming hardships with determination and courage, make them winners before the race even starts.