“As if running 100 miles over 24 hours isn’t a feat in itself, La Jolla High School teacher and coach Tom Atwell put a new spin on his 16th annual run to raise money for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.

After having foot surgery in January, Atwell decided to bicycle 273.8 miles around the school track and run 26.2 more for a total of 300 miles.

He started at 1 p.m. May 30 and ended around 24 hours later. In the process, he has raised about $10,300 as of June 6.

“I wanted to do this no matter what,” said Atwell, who teaches social studies and coaches water polo and swimming. “I feel like I have to do something, not just for tradition but every year I see reminders that it’s a good thing to do. I have three students in my class that have parents battling breast cancer. Once every two years, we lose a parent to some form of cancer, so there are these constant reminders I’m confronted with. There is also so much energy from the kids, and it reminds them that we can do something.”

Atwell himself is a three-time cancer survivor and his wife, Utahna, also is a cancer survivor…”

Article and picture provided by the La Jolla Light. Read the full article here.

La Jolla Athletics Website