“We have no choice but to be pain. You have a choice and you’re out there suffering for us.”
They Told Me I Was Crazy
In the spring of 2019 Lee Perreira told his family and friends he was going to run from Phoenix, Arizona to Burbank, California (the equivalent of 16 marathons) to raise money for charity and hopefully get the attention of the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The response was predictable: You’re crazy! You’ll never make it! This is a terrible idea!
He did it anyway.
What followed is an incredible story deep with unimaginable pain, resolve and an affirmation of the very best of the human spirit.
Wounded At The Start
Lee’s journey began with a small circle of support but none as fierce and unflinching as his fiance Serenity. He would need it almost immediately. 2 days into his run Lee injured his MCL.
Thankfully they both anticipated rough stretches and brought along the requisite bandages, braces, etc. The knee was successfully braced and stabilized and Lee was able to push through another 20 miles on Day 3.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t have anticipated what happened next.
Lee had an allergic reaction to the bandage adhesive. This resulted in his skin blistering and then that skin being torn away when the bandage was removed.
In the aftermath, Lee would have to fight through continuous, burning pain. He would spend the following days rebuilding himself mentally and emotionally. All the while fighting demons of doubt, his physical limitations and the unforgiving path he’d chosen to run.
But not without the kindness of strangers and the continual affirmations that seemed to always come at just the right time.
Wrong Turn
By day 10, Lee’s run has taken him into the Mojave Dessert and he’s made a breakthrough. During this stretch he feels like he’s on top of the world. The miles come and go with an ease that seems like it will never go away. Until it does.
Day 11 comes with terrain that is as brutal as it is unforgiving. Each step feels like a punishment. No moments of relief or joy, save for one.
He gets a text message from a young cancer patient named Peyton who he’d met on one of his monthly visits to the Cardon Children's Medical Center: “We have no choice but to be in pain. You have a choice and you're out there suffering for us.”
This gives him the fuel to push on and finish out the day but the trials would not end there.
On day 12, the plan was for Lee to trek through the San Bernardino mountains and meet Serenity at a prearranged checkpoint. This plan quickly falls apart. The air is foul and cold and during the run, he loses cell service and access to GPS.
At a pivotal moment, he takes a wrong turn towards Big Bear, California. Along the way he regains cell service and realizes the error. Unfortunately, Serenity has made her way to the checkpoint (where she does not have cell service). She waits. It’s now late in the night.
Unable to connect with her, Lee decides to head back towards the check point. He’s now 12 miles out of the way, In the meantime, she drives an hour back down the mountain so she can regain cell service and call him. In the end, after 45 miles covered and many long anxious hours they reunite.
To The Finish Line But Not Without Cost
Word of Lee’s mission begins to travel. Friends of friends of friends get wind of what he’s doing and what he’s going through and they want to help. This ultimately gets him some much needed treatment from world renown healer and physical therapist, Adam Steer, owner of 99 Plus CBD.
News outlets begin to follow the story and before too long, Lee’s mission hits the front-page. People are beginning to connect with what he’s doing in a large way. But all along the way, even to the finish, Lee and Serenity are dealt some heavy blows.
The sheer magnitude of what he’s doing begins to weigh on Lee. There are days he not only doesn’t want to run but hates the idea of it. There are moments of raw emotion that erupt as he pushes himself further and further.