Des Moines executive Rusty Bishop was recently selected as one of five finalists in “Inspiring Soles,” a national contest sponsored by Crocs and Outside Magazine to recognize extreme athletic endeavors by an individual who also inspires others by acts of charity. As a finalist in “Inspiring Soles,” Bishop will receive $5,000 to donate to the Iowa Marrow Donor Program.
During a nationwide voting campaign, now through January 10, he has a chance to win the grand prize of $25,000 to add even more donors to the registry.
In order to win, Bishop needs your vote. Visit www.InspiringSoles.com, follow the “Click Here” link to see the five finalists and then on “Vote Now” to cast your vote for Rusty Bishop before January 10. Please pass this on to friends and family and encourage them to vote for Bishop as well.
The Iowa Marrow Donor Program at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics nominated Bishop as an “Inspiring Sole” because of his efforts to bring attention to the need for more people to register on the Iowa Marrow Donor Program, part of a national registry of donors willing to help those who need a bone marrow transplant in order to survive.
Bishop donated marrow to a little girl he did not know who had a life-threatening disease. In honor of this little girl named Trinity, who recently celebrated her ninth birthday, in March, Bishop ran across the Atacama Desert in northern Chili, racing 150 miles in seven days carrying his supplies on his back.
While he was crossing the desert, he asked friends and family to donate money to help pay for tissue typing for new members of the Iowa Marrow Donor Program.
Upon his return, while still nursing the blisters on his feet, he sponsored a donor drive in Des Moines.
Bishop has completed five major endurance events in the past four years and says it's a matter of training, for both your mind and body. He says the biggest part of the run is mental, not physical, though he says "There is pain that's involved in many of these runs. It's how your body tolerates that pain, mentally and physically."
Bishop has participated in Racing the Planet in past years, running through the Sahara, Gobi, and Atacama (northern Chili) deserts, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All runners had to carry a week's worth of food, clothes, and supplies in their backpacks. He's also run the RAGBRAI course of 374-miles across Iowa in nine-and-a-half days.
Bishop's first marathon was a fundraiser in 1996. He runs to raise money for medical research into blood-related diseases and cancers, primarily through the Leukemia Society. In 2002, he was nominated by friends and co-workers and chosen to carry the Olympic Torch on its journey through Iowa.
Bishop, 35, says at many ultra-marathons, he's among the younger participants. Most extreme runners, he says, are closer to 50. "You have to want to do this. You have to have that desire and I think a lot of younger individuals don't have that desire to put their bodies through that type of pain and go those distances." |
