Runner goes the distance for charity

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers MARATHON MAN—Westlake Village resident Sam Maddox enjoys an afternoon jog before jetting off to run in the recent New York City Marathon. Westlake resident Sam Maddox has run marathons in both Los Angeles and New York. This past weekend’s race was different, however, because more than personal accomplishment propelled him to finish the ING New York City Marathon.

As one of 16 members of Team Reeve, an athletic fundraising program of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, Maddox personally helped raise more than $2,000 for the charity.

Maddox credits that extra push with helping him finish the grueling 26.2-mile course through the city’s five boroughs in 70-degree heat.

“A good number of people donated money and dedicated it to loved ones and friends as well as to the memory of Christopher Reeve,” said Maddox, 55, a wavyhaired, bespectacled father of two. “I’m not just doing it for myself anymore, but to honor all of these people whose lives have been personally affected by paralysis.”

Maddox’s interest in spinal cord injuries was the result of a chance encounter more than 20 years ago when he was a freelance writer and journalism professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

In 1982 a friend introduced him to two paralyzed men, and a long discussion followed about the countless unanswered questions they both had regarding paralysis. Maddox set out to find some answers.

What he found, however, was that no definitive research or book existed on the topic. With his reporter’s curiosity and with the financial backing of the two men, Chuck Sedmak and Steve Jordan, Maddox wrote the critically acclaimed “Spinal Network,” the seminal resource for spinal cord dysfunction, and later, its followup, “Quest for Cure.”

These days, Maddox manages the West Coast office for the Paralysis Resource Center, which opened last year in Westlake, oversees the Reeve Foundation website and continues to write articles. He views his role as a translator of sorts, bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public, helping clinicians and scientists translate their knowledge into understandable, layman’s terms.

“You know, I never meant to become ‘the spinal guy,’” he says, a generous, nonchalant smile spreading across his face. “But it just happened that I built a certain knowledge base, and it took off from there.”

Like the chance meeting in 1982, a subsequent encounter proved life-changing for Maddox. After spotting a runner on Venice Beach whose T-shirt read: “In Training for the L.A. Marathon,” Maddox was determined to learn more about the program. Despite being an avid jogger, Maddox’s last attempt to complete a race was a disaster.

“I was actually embarrassed about being so out of shape,” he said, shaking his head.

Maddox joined Ventura Roadrunners, the official training program for the L.A. Marathon, which provides runners with a comprehensive training guide and separates them into individual pace groups. Running soon became part of Maddox’s routine. He fits in a run every other weeknight, often with his 12-year-old son, Max, and 10year-old daughter, Madeline, accompanying him on their bicycles. He saves his long runs— 12, 15 or 20 miles—for the weekends, when he often visits Emma Wood and Buenaventura state beaches.

Despite his constant training, Maddox admits the New York City race was tough. During the last five miles, especially, he struggled through physical exhaustion and unseasonably warm weather to complete the marathon. While he didn’t break his personal record, he finished at a solid four hours, 48 minutes. What matters more is the greater purpose of his run.

“I’ll feel whatever pain I have to temporarily for those individuals who can’t move at all,” Maddox said. “It’s very humbling, and I’m grateful to those who’ve supported me.”

Lauren Berger graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory High School in West Hills in 2001 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in magazine journalism at New York University.