Purpose

Running seven marathons across the globe in a week seems crazy, right?! It also requires an immense commitment to training during the months leading up to the challenge. So WHY am I doing this?

O.J.'s Story

O.J. Brigance is the utmost example of the phrase "All things are possible." His remarkable story started on the football field. After going undrafted in 1991, he contacted every NFL team, seeking a tryout, before beginning his pro career in the Canadian Football League where he subsequently became a CFL All-Star and Grey Cup Champion. In 1996, he signed with the Miami Dolphins where he was voted team captain and named the Ed Block Courage Award recipient. In 2000, he helped the Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV (in which he made the game's first tackle).

Following his seven-year NFL playing career, Brigance became the director of player development for the Ravens. In May 2007, at the age of 37, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), a neurodegenerative disease that slowly takes away a person's ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe. Mental capacity, however, remains intact. There is no cure for ALS, and the average life expectancy for a person with ALS is 2-5 years after diagnosis. (Just 10% of patients live 10+ years.)

Shortly after his diagnosis, Brigance and his wife, Chanda, created the Brigance Brigade Foundation to equip, encourage, and empower people living with ALS (PALS). Across nearly two decades, the BBF has helped improve the quality of life for hundreds of PALS and their families, and provided access to needed equipment and support services.

As he enters his 20th year battling ALS, O.J. continues his transcendent work. He still comes into work at the Ravens facility, offering counsel to players, coaches and staff, while also remaining actively involved in the philanthropic mission of the Brigance Brigade Foundation.

"Extraordinary accomplishments are only achieved when we are able to overcome extraordinary challenges."

-O.J. Brigance

Dave's Motivation

For nearly 20 years, I've witnessed a strength and resiliency that few can ever imagine. I met O.J. Brigance during my first week working for the Ravens – less than a month after he had been diagnosed with ALS. Besides his quick wit and sense of humor, the thing that stood out most to me about O.J. was his smile – which was the biggest in the building – and his genuine care for other people.

Gradually, the effects of ALS began to show. Just a few years earlier, O.J. was one of the top athletes in the world, making plays on football's biggest stage. But soon, the disease inhibited his ability to walk, confining him to a wheelchair. Then I watched as ALS deprived O.J. of his ability to speak, making it challenging for him to share his wisdom. Eventually, the disease suppressed his breathing, requiring the need for a breathing tube and ventilator in order to survive.

Despite these challenging circumstances, O.J.'s determination to beat the disease is unwavering. Coach John Harbaugh often referred to O.J. as the strongest man in the building. And his beaming smile still persists. Likewise, he's remained committed to being a positive force in other's lives. Before I ran the Baltimore Marathon in 2012, he shared meaningful words of encouragement – a message that required significant effort to communicate by typing words with his eyes on a screen, and a message I heard in my head when the race got tough.

When I first heard about the World Marathon Challenge in 2018, I questioned if it was humanly possible. In perspective though, running 183 miles around the globe in a week seems easier than what someone with ALS goes through daily just to live their life. I recognize that I've been blessed with a gift – not of endurance, but simply with two healthy legs and the ability to run and walk – and I feel called to use that gift for a greater purpose.

To honor the inspiration O.J. has instilled in me, and to celebrate his incredible 20th year living with ALS, I'm taking on the World Marathon Challenge to support him and the Brigance Brigade Foundation by raising $57,000 to provide necessary assistance to ALS patients in need. I hope you'll support O.J. and me on this journey!