Heart Attack Survivor Named Williams Route 66 Marathon Kjell Tovander Award Winner
The Williams Route 66 Marathon board of directors and the Tovander family named Bobby Ballard of Joplin, Mo., the recipient of the 2014 Kjell Tovander Award.
The award recognizes an individual who impacts the world in an uplifting way and is named in honor of Kjell Tovander who died on Nov. 16, 2008, while running the Route 66 Half Marathon. Tovander, only 21 at the time of his death, spent three years studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was preparing for a career in the Navy.
“We were inspired not only by Bobby’s determination to continue pursuing running after his heart attack but also by his desire to share his love of running by coaching and encouraging others,” said Chris Lieberman, executive director of Tulsa Route 66 Marathon, Inc.
At 50 years old, Bobby Ballard weighed more than 300 pounds, and he knew it was time to take control of his health. He began to exercise and lose weight. On April 12, 2011, Ballard was on a training run with his Joplin YMCA Anyone Can Run class when he suffered a heart attack. Although doctors initially thought he wouldn’t survive, he had triple bypass surgery and was released from the hospital 11 days later. Just five weeks after his heart attack, Ballard walked in the 5K race he had been training for, and his Anyone Can Run classmates wore shirts with “Running for Bobby” across the back.
“What really talked to me was how we almost had the same thing happen to us,” Ballard said of his and Tovander’s stories. “We just about had the same story. Mine was just a little bit different outcome. Mine could have just as easily been as his was. I’m blessed that I’m still here to talk about it.”
Ballard is a running coach for the Joplin YMCA, leading group runs four times a week. He’s always motivating new runners to keep coming to the class and keep running – no matter how slow they are or how long a run takes them.
“It’s just part of my life,” Ballard said of his passion for running. “I feel like I’m missing something if I don’t get to run every day or two. It’s very important to me.”
On Sunday, Ballard participated in the marathon relay, running on Route 66 and celebrating his 66th race since a heart attack nearly took his life.
About the Williams Route 66 Marathon
The ninth annual Williams Route 66 Marathon weekend, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, is set for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23, 2014 in Tulsa, Okla. The Williams Route 66 Marathon weekend includes the two-day Health, Fitness and Sustainability Expo, marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay, 5K run and walk, and a one-mile fun run and walk, and the ever-popular mascot dash. Post-race activities at Tulsa’s Guthrie Green in the Brady Arts District include music, a car show and fun for the entire family. For more information visit www.route66marathon.com.
