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On October 20th, Oscar Louis will lace up his running shoes and hit the pavement, participating in the Detroit Free Press marathon in honor of his friend Nick Gilbert to continue sharing Nick’s story of NF and lifting up others who are living with the disease. This marathon isn’t just a test of endurance; it’s a celebration of friendship, resilience, and the enduring impact Nick had on all of us.

Read about Oscar’s inspiration to run the Detroit marathon and his relationship with Nick below.

Whether it was getting our butts kicked at Taekwondo, a tough ending to an Alphawolf basketball game, or a close out after at Franklin Little League game, Nick knew how to bounce back. In the face of constant adversity and throughout our whole childhood, Nick was constantly thrown obstacles. Time and time again he was given these challenges and often made the choice to see the brighter side of any tough situation.

Nick’s and my Taekwondo classes were a blast but also frustrating for Nick because a lot of the movements required balancing in odd positions. Nonetheless, Nick and I went to class after class, learning and earning our stripes. I saw him use this same mentality to get himself out of ruts after surgeries and during countless PT sessions. Seeing the issue, understanding obstacles, and continuing to persevere.

I chose to start running in 2022 as a personal journey to finding a rhythm that works for me. At the start of the journey, I’d often google some version of “how to find motivation to workout”. I quickly realized that not only can crowdsourced Quora answers not solve this question, but that it came down to a choice and it reminded me of Nick. Over the past two years, I’ve often been met with a decision where on days with less-than-ideal conditions or after a long day at work, I again had a choice. I thought to myself: If Nick was able to make the choice to keep pushing, to keep laughing, and to keep searching for that sunlight, how hard could it be to knock out a run?

Inspired by Nick’s choices to meet all his challenges head-on, I’m excited and honored to raise awareness for NF and The Gilly Project through running the Detroit Marathon!

Inspired the 26 miles of a full marathon, please consider filling out the form below and donating $26 (or any other amount) in support of outstanding research to conquer this devastating condition that impacts so many and for which there is no cure today.

The Gilly Project, in conjunction with The Gilbert Family Foundation, will match 100% of all funds raised.