Photo by Trip Burns.
When Jeremy Jungling makes a goal for himself, he commits to achieving it. As a trainer at StinkyFeet Athletics in Flowood, part of his job is to inspire other runners to do the same thing.
In February, he will achieve a huge goal—climbing 16,732 feet to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. This climb is not only a goal, but will also serve as a celebration for Jungling and his wife, Claire, who also plans to make the journey. And the Junglings have a lot to celebrate—he survived cancer last year. The trip is designed to raise awareness of the disease.
Jungling, 39, grew up in Iowa and attended Iowa State University. He began running in 2008. He was overweight and knew he had to get in shape. As he increased his distance, he eventually found himself loving the sport. In December 2009, Jungling completed his first marathon. Since then, he has competed in five marathons in addition to several ultramarathons—running events that range from 30 to 150 miles or more. He also plans to compete in his first Ironman Triathlon in September 2014.
On Aug. 29, 2012, Jungling was diagnosed with colon cancer.
"I actually knew that I was sick because the quality of my running had become so poor," Jungling says.
He had surgery Sept. 5, 2012, to remove part of his colon. Two weeks later, Jungling decided to run again. "I went out and ran two miles," he says. "It was slow, but I was running, and I was alive. It was the most glorious two miles of my life."
As he was recovering and reviewing treatment options with his oncologist, Jungling began to think about his future and what role running would play. The doctor told him running would exacerbate the effects of chemotherapy, but Jungling saw that as a challenge.
Jungling structured his running around his chemotherapy. He set a goal of running a race every weekend that he didn't have treatment. The end result was competing in an ultramarathon in March 2013.
"Being a cancer survivor, I felt I had an obligation to try to be a positive example to people," Jungling says.
He got involved with the Livestrong Foundation because of its ties to endurance athletes and helping people live with cancer.
"They're not trying to help find a cure, but are more about helping people in their daily lives after they are diagnosed," he says.
The planned trip to Kilimanjaro is part of a fundraising campaign called "Survivor Summit." It will take seven days to climb the mountain. The total cost for two people is $20,000 with 75 to 80 percent going to Livestrong. So far, Livestrong has collected almost $13,000 through various events like runs and corporate sponsorship.
For more information or to make a donation, visit laf.livestrong.org/goto/JerClaire.
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