Yasir Salem:Running for Gwen Mann (his late wife): 50 Marathons in 50 Weeks

 As Halloween time comes round this October 2019, more people are hearing  about a gofundme.com case by  Mr. Yasir Salem. There is a podcast about the details but he is looking to change the screening guidelines to detect lung cancer and promote other early cancer and medical screenings.

A full body MRI scan can run 1400 dollars through a private company (or more.) Ideally people could start with A1C, average blood sugar testing, with their health provider or a private company if the insurance or doctor does not feel there is a enough reason to test that level (based on various guidelines, but everyone could do their own research and understand many best practices for Preventing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes...)

That's my added note, not something Yasir Salem discusses on his podcast which has a link at the end of this post. I am summarizing some of what I heard and wish all who are helping others and themselves along these lines.

His wife Gwen Mann, who could do marathons, which inspired him to learn to swim and do more adventurous trainings and goals (getting into NYU, being in a hot dog eating contest at Nathan's on the 4th of July, and lots of vacationing.)

Her name is inspiring almost like 'women and man.' To get awareness for a cause, Yasir Salem who was in marketing, said it's important to do something extreme or use a spectacle. He then set his Big Goal of 50 in 50...

Fifty Marathons in 50 weeks in the same year. He felt it would help him stay focused mentally and of course physically. He shares doing the marathons got him moving and helped him get healthy while he was grieving. It also helped him go to major cities  and get the message of the foundation out to people in ways that the media could cover.

People from every market shared with him, such as doctors, survivors and family which also helped him refine his mission and close gaps. The 50 States also helps him 'keep Gwen's memory alive' which is also important to him to share how awesome she was. Good luck with your goals, dreams and honoring your journey and  of course the people and motivators in your life.

He is a New Yorker but travels, and sometimes does 2 marathons in a weekend or close together. He has been to Alaska and Hawaii (on the same trip which helped him in terms of pacing his far-away travel)...and sometimes get some important  time off. He does all his own booking of flights and hotels and finds the travel taxing with the marathons not being the hardest part for him

. (Don't assume that would be the case if you're a newbie.) He had met Gwen in 2007, lost 50 lbs since meeting her even though he had an injured knee. He gets foot massages weekly (that may be my kind of marathon...) He likes getting an hourly foot massage weekly, but personally I think he would do well to  check with a Chinese medicine practitioner to make sure the meridians are in balance. 

Yasir Salem shares that they did a successful Story Corps piece, had a short movie and book made of their experience. He shares that he still loves her a great deal and wants to keep her memory alive. I feel inspired by all he is doing.

Ideally we would make a more comprehensive 'early screening, early detection and many avenues of prevention' of health and other challenges. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yasir-salem-running-for-gwen/id138...

If you don't have a lot of time, skip through. I covered some highlights... Best to all and to Sir Yasir and his lovely inspiration the late Ms. Gwen Mann!