OKLAHOMA CITY -- Dennis Voyles has a simple philosophy while running. "Let's keep moving," he tells his fellow joggers, as they make their way up Santa Fe Avenue in Oklahoma City, Monday afternoon.
At age 60, he's not trying to break any speed records. However, he is trying to break the grip that brain cancer has on his family.
"I don't know if we're going to make a difference for everybody, but a lot of people have told me how much this means to them," he says while running. "It can't mean anywhere near as much as it means to me."
Brain cancer took the life of his brother in law, Steve Underwood, 2 years ago.
So he and his wife, Sheila, started the Team Underwood Foundation to raise money for cancer research with events like this triathlon.
On this trip, Dennis has swam, biked and ran nearly 430 miles in 6 days.
The first mile began in the Centenary College pool in Shreveport, Louisiana.
He then road a bike to Dallas and up to Oklahoma, where he has been on foot ever since; support from family and friends with him every mile.
"It's just almost overwhelming, to tell you the truth," he says.
But this journey is also for Sheila and their grandson, Carson.
Unbelievably, they have also been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Sheila says with luck like this, all they can do is keep going.
"It's life and you have to live," she says, "You just keep coping with it and you have a lot of hope that eventually there will be a cure."
The triathlon's path connected the cities of Dennis' family and friends.
It ended Monday with the Team Underwood Foundation ready to welcome their hero at Glorieta Baptist Church.
There is no cure for brain cancer awaiting Dennis at the finish line but there is hope.
And that's what this long journey was all about.
"You have three family members stricken with (brain cancer) and you realize how precious life is," Dennis says. "You're willing to fight and do anything you can to save that life, and do as much as you can while you are alive, to be alive."
Sheila said they had raised about $3,000 before the weekend, but maybe twice that amount in the last 2 days.
If you would like to donate, you can visit their Facebook page, Team Underwood Foundation.
"I don't know if we're going to make a difference for everybody, but a lot of people have told me how much this means to them," he says while running. "It can't mean anywhere near as much as it means to me."
Brain cancer took the life of his brother in law, Steve Underwood, 2 years ago.
So he and his wife, Sheila, started the Team Underwood Foundation to raise money for cancer research with events like this triathlon.
On this trip, Dennis has swam, biked and ran nearly 430 miles in 6 days.
The first mile began in the Centenary College pool in Shreveport, Louisiana.
He then road a bike to Dallas and up to Oklahoma, where he has been on foot ever since; support from family and friends with him every mile.
"It's just almost overwhelming, to tell you the truth," he says.
But this journey is also for Sheila and their grandson, Carson.
Unbelievably, they have also been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Sheila says with luck like this, all they can do is keep going.
"It's life and you have to live," she says, "You just keep coping with it and you have a lot of hope that eventually there will be a cure."
The triathlon's path connected the cities of Dennis' family and friends.
It ended Monday with the Team Underwood Foundation ready to welcome their hero at Glorieta Baptist Church.
There is no cure for brain cancer awaiting Dennis at the finish line but there is hope.
And that's what this long journey was all about.
"You have three family members stricken with (brain cancer) and you realize how precious life is," Dennis says. "You're willing to fight and do anything you can to save that life, and do as much as you can while you are alive, to be alive."
Sheila said they had raised about $3,000 before the weekend, but maybe twice that amount in the last 2 days.
If you would like to donate, you can visit their Facebook page, Team Underwood Foundation.
