Meet The Man Who Ran From Disneyland To Disney World
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Don Muchow, 59, is the first person to run from Disneyland in California to Disney World in Florida.
Video Transcript
- Now, 5:30, a real life Forrest Gump, can you believe it? A Texas man has just finished a cross-country run.
- He started at Disneyland in California and ended at Walt Disney World in Orlando, all of it to raise awareness for diabetes. Reporter Matt Lapoli has the story.
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
- Until he heard the cheers, Don Muchow didn't know what to expect.
DON MUCHOW: Security guard said, oh, are you the runner? I thought, oh, my god. Here's the escort of the Disney property.
- He ran from Disneyland in California to Disney World in Florida. And getting a big welcome at the Magic Kingdom, he felt his spirit lifted.
DON MUCHOW: I love you, guys. This is the best surprise in the world.
- Don's 59, he's an Iron Man athlete from Texas, and he's nearing the finish line of a truly cross-country run. He planned to start at the Pacific and end in the Atlantic Ocean. Stopping at the Disney Parks was a happy accident born from a conversation with a confused friend.
DON MUCHOW: And he said, so I assume you're running from Disneyland to Disney World? And I hadn't actually thought about it that way.
- As a fan though, including Disney was a great fit and he says the push he needed to finish the last leg.
DON MUCHOW: I've just been on cloud nine since then.
- He's biggest motivator though, the reason he's running about 2,800 miles across the country, he wants to show was type 1 diabetes isn't holding him back. And after decades of defying limitations from the disease, he wants to prove to others they can too.
DON MUCHOW: Make that choice rather than the choice of fear.
- After seeing all the sights a run across America has to offer--
DON MUCHOW: I'm starting the sort of ride that wave of hope to the shore.
- --he's looking forward to taking in this one to finish off his journey.
- And that was Matt Lapoli reporting. If you're wondering how he did it, Muchow ran about 32 miles a day with a break every 10 days until he reached all 2,800 miles.
