01.
Jeremiah Branson
My name is Jeremiah Branson. I am Joshua’s little brother and still live in our hometown of Knoxville, TN. I have been married to my wife Emily for 4 years, and we have a dog named Banks and a cat named Willis. When Joshua was in college he played ultimate frisbee at MTSU, so naturally when I got to high school and they had a team I wanted to follow in those footsteps and started playing. Since then it’s become my sole hobby and sport, and I played through all of college and now play professionally for the Salt Lake City professional team on the weekends. Ultimate frisbee is also how I met my wife, and is a sport we still enjoy playing and training together for. Though I am not a distance runner, I get all my running and conditioning through ultimate, and I am excited to get to use that for a different purpose running alongside Joshua and these other guys.
02.
Johnathan Branson
My name is Johnathan Branson. My wife Kylie and I have 3 children and live in Knoxville, TN. I work for a non-profit called Renaissance Creations as a carpenter/tradesman helping revitalize homes in the Knoxville area. I love camping, hiking, biking and occasionally…running. Sometimes I run for fun, sometimes I run to be done but mostly I run to find out if the next mile is worth the trial. I find with good people alongside you it usually is.
03.
Kevin Stewart
My name is Kevin Stewart. I love Chipotle, a morning coffee as the sun is rising, and enduring physical fitness tests.
When asked if I would consider joining the team of men supporting Josh on this run, I felt an instant prompt and pull to say “yes”. The truth is, I’m not a huge fan of running, and it’s probably my weakest area of fitness. You’ll see soon enough! I said “yes” because I want to support my family, which in this case is my brother in-law, Josh.
As I have grown older and been blessed to be a father to 3 boys, and husband to my wife Emily of 9 years, I’ve come to cherish the type of impact, memories, and sense of security that are created within family.
It is hard to describe in words what that feeling really is, but I can try with a question. Who can you call at anytime no matter what you’re dealing with at that time, and will be received with openness and kindness? To me, that is your family.
Josh accepted me in as his family as soon as I married Emily. I am grateful, and because of my commitment to family, I’m committed to this challenge alongside Josh.
04.
Destin Goins
My name is Destin Goins. My wife and I live in Murfreesboro TN where we have been blessed with our two beautiful (and highly energetic) little girls, ages 2 and 1. I work at a local hospital where I practice as a nurse anesthesia provider, and coach running on the side. One of my favorite gifts to give people is the ability to fall in love with running. It allows us time to connect with our Creator and prove to ourselves that He has equipped us to do hard things. I have always said that although you may be running by yourself, it is not an individual effort. It often takes a team to prepare an athlete for a race. For our relay, there will be many that play a part. I am really excited to see our team grow as we take on this ambitious task!
05.
Ryan Tilghman
My name is Ryan Tilghman. I am a Pastor and am married to my wife, Paige, for 10 years now. We have 3 awesome little girls, Amelia (3), Ellison (1), and Reese (Newborn). Running has always been apart of my life. I grew up playing sports and even played college football. But the running I’m doing today is much different! I started running after my Dad had a heart attack and at 23 years old I already have cholesterol issues. I knew with family history and my own issues I needed to do something. So, I decided to start running which led to me doing triathlons as well. My relationship with running is love/hate! I definitely do not want to run every day, but every day I do, I’m always glad I did. I don’t think there will be any runs I will ever do that will make me feel like the runs I’m going to do for Joshua. As my best friend, I would run 100 miles myself if he asked me! But since we are raising money for ALK+ research, I’ll run where ever, with whoever, and how ever far he tells me!
