Verona Man Continues Mission Of Mobility | Community Spirit

Verona's Ryan Dexter, 34, will soon manage his movements and his mind over a 200-mile trek in Vermont. It's a race that begins on a Thursday, but will last into Mother's Day weekend.

"To me, running is pretty simplistic, you don't need a lot of things," Dexter said. "And you're only competing against yourself, so you set goals for yourself."

The first goal came in the summer of 1997, when the Pennsylvania native decided he wanted to run around a lake near his home. The 3.5-mile run was a big deal, Dexter said. But he conquered it. So he bet himself he could run it twice. Seven miles and about a week later, another goal was met.

"I played football and other things and running was just something you did, but I didn't like it," Dexter said. "It was just something you did to get in shape."

But these newly found goals continued to mount and to push Dexter to levels unimaginable for many.

"I ran my first marathon in (the fall of) 1997 and the idea of running a marathon was beyond what I thought was possible," Dexter said.

After crossing the finish line of his fifth or sixth marathon, Dexter's goal-setting mindset expanded to 50- and 150-mile races.

Last year, he entered and won his first 200-mile race, along the McNaughton Trail Run in Pittsfield, Vt. Dexter was on his feet for more than 61 hours. This year, he said he hopes to shave time from his winning pace.

"I'm trying to go at it and not rest at all," Dexter said. "That was my goal last time and I ended stopping at 180 (miles). I actually thought about stopping at 180 (miles) … I thought about quitting just because of sheer exhaustion."

But after a nap, Dexter met yet another goal and in the process has inspired others.

"When I tell people I'm running a 200-mile race, I instantly have their attention, so I thought, what can I do?"

His mission of mobility has pushed well beyond his internal drive to conquer personal challenges.

"I'm very mobile. I'm able to do this. God's given me this gift. How can I relate this?" Dexter asked. "I thought of giving someone else the gift of mobility."

Last year, through his blog and word of mouth, Dexter raised more than $12,000 for the international organization Free Wheelchair Mission. It's a group he first heard of through a charity drive at his family's church.

"It's kind of humbling because it is certainly not my own strength that gets me through this," Dexter said. "As far as being able to raise money for a charity, I think that's just an added bonus. Once you get into thousands of dollars it's kind of mind-blowing that one person could do that."

At a cost of about $59 per wheelchair, the Free Wheelchair Mission builds and distributes the chairs to the impoverished disabled in developing nations.

"I'm running 200 miles, so I thought what if I could raise enough to buy 200 wheelchairs, so that was part of my goal last year," Dexter said.

Dexter is once again raising money as he prepares for his second 200-mile trek. He said it adds a broader goal to a sport whose motivation comes solely from within.

"There are no news cameras. There's no ESPN. If the local newspaper knows it's going on, that's a big thing," Dexter said. "It's no money or publicity."

Still, the motivation is obvious for a man who as a kid didn't like to run, but now cherishes his hobby. His three boys are fittingly named Chase, Cruz and Dash, and his wife, Christina, has finished the Ironman Triathlon three times.

Follow Dexter on Twitter for race updates. The race will start on Thursday, May 5.

To donate to Dexter's cause, go to his Free Wheelchair Mission page. For information about Dexter's background and race history, go to his blog at, dexterthepunisher.blogspot.com.