My pursuit of adventure and self discovery by pushing my limits...to the EXTREME!
Dear Ironman: When Tom Brokaw wrote "The Greatest Generation", it was men like my father he had in mind. Mydad rose from humble beginnings, worked in the coal mines to put himself through college and law school,moved to Washington, DC, and rose in office to rub shoulders with presidents and men of great influence. Before college, he courageously volunteered to fight against the great evil of his day in WWII. Hefought in the European campaign and received military honors including the Silver Star, and was captured and held as a POW. He never asked anything of his men that he wouldn't ask of himself. My father didn't speak much of his war experiences, but as time passed, it eased the tight grip on hisclosely held memories. He's now entering the twilight of his life, and has begun opening up about hisexperiences, both horrific and heroic. Many aren't easy on him, and as emotion wells up in his speech, I'mmoved that he feels comfort in telling me. I've learned what I'd always felt, that my father was an incrediblystrong man in body, will, and faith. It's this combination that brought him back from the battlefield alive andprepared to tackle life. As time passes, his body loses strength, but his will and faith only grow stronger. It'sthis strength that has enabled him to succeed in his career and raise a loving family. My father has been attacked by colon, prostate, skin cancer, and a brain tumor, but has beaten themall, just as he beat the enemy in WWII. It was his strength that got him through these scary times. I've been fortunate not to have struggled through life. I sometimes wonder why I push myself to the extremes of physical and mental toughness. Maybe it's because I want to struggle. I want to work hard. I want to prove to myself that I can be as strong as he is that I can fight through pain and despair, and can persevere to reach that seemingly unreachable goal. He is proud of my accomplishments in sport, business, and most importantly, in my faith. At eighty-five years old, with many of his fellow solders laying down their arms and leaving this world,there are two increasingly urgent things that would mean the world to us both. One is to be waiting for him atthe long awaited WWII Memorial currently under construction; and second, for him to be waiting on me atthe finish of the Ironman Championship in Hawaii, the pinnacle of endurance sports achievement. If God'swilling, we'll do both. As I train along the Potomac River, I see all our beautiful monuments that strongly symbolize thegreat freedoms that my father and all the other soldiers of past and present have fought for, many giving theultimate sacrifice, their lives. My father is my hero. God bless our country, and God bless my dad. I'm sure he already has! Frank Fumich
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