Captain Castro, assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C. finished the Air Force Marathon an unofficial time of 4:16:52. Running alongside him every step of the way was Fred Dummar, an Army lieutenant colonel who commands the Special Operations Recruiting Unit at Fort Bragg. Captain Castro said this was his first Air Force Marathon, but it definitely will not be his last.
The Solider has made running long-distance races a key part of his therapy after a mortar round exploded next to him in Iraq on Sept. 2, 2006, leaving him, among other serious injuries, totally blind. He decided to travel to Wright-Patterson AFB with his wife, Evelyn Galvis, and run in the Air Force Marathon in part because he does most of his training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., adjacent to Fort Bragg. He thought it would also provide a good baseline pace time for his next big race, the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 26 in Arlington, Va. "I know the Pope Gym like the back of my hand," Captain Castro said. "The Airmen there are fantastic."
He acknowledged another reason he was honored to run in the Air Force Marathon was Airmen were always there with "top cover" close-air support for coalition ground forces "whenever we needed them." "This is a team fight. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for everyone who helped put me back together. I'm very grateful," he said. Captain Castro's wife said she hopes his running will inspire other servicemembers with debilitating combat injuries to find the inner strength to adapt and overcome them."I want them to know if Ivan can do it, so can they," she said.
His training partner, Colonel Dummar, said Captain Castro's optimism and strength in the face of adversity are infectious. "It's an honor to run with him," Colonel Dummar said. "I think I get a lot more out of this than he does."
TAKEN FROM:
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