RUN FOR AUTISM runner Joseph Carrasquillo completed a personal challenge in September, running a 100-mile race to raise awareness of autism on behalf of his son, Jacob, who was diagnosed with autism nine years ago.
“Jacob had a wonderful neuropsychologist at the time who brought it to our attention that he had tremendous potential but would ultimately need more care and support moving forward. During this time, my wife and I struggled for answers on how to further help our son as, within our own network of support, there was little to no awareness.” Carrasquillo said. He and his wife, Aisha Carrasquillo, decided Joseph would stay home with Jacob as his care provider, including taking him to appointments and helping with school functions.
“It would prove to be the right decision and began our family on this amazing journey that we would never have thought possible otherwise. Since that time, we have met so many supportive people in the autism community who have given us great examples from their own personal experiences on how to better support our son,” Carasquillo told OAR. He noted that Jacob has continued his tremendous growth socially and academically. “He is a member of the MENSA High IQ society, has thrived in school academically, routinely making the principal’s list in middle school, and this past summer he was invited to attend ENVISION Youth Leadership STEM Program, all while being proficient in playing the violin and also taking part in several New York Road Runner Youth Races.”
Carasquillo began thinking about taking on a 100-mile race when he started running three years ago. “I initially began running in pursuit of feeling better about myself and also my own personal dream of running in the New York City Marathon,” he said. In those three years, Carasquillo ran over 20 races, including the NYC Marathon and three other marathons, a 50K, a 50-mile race, and now a 100-mile race.
“When my son was initially diagnosed, there was little to no forms of information and awareness, and oftentimes, this created a sense of helplessness. During this time, I began to assist and advocate for other parents who were sharing similar experiences and realized that I wanted to create different avenues of funding for autism research.” So Carasquillo took on his 100-mile race with RUN FOR AUTISM to raise funds for OAR. “I felt that, while the idea of completing a 100-mile run was daunting, running for a cause such as this one would inspire me to give it my best.” During training, Carasquillo also pursued several certifications as a personal trainer to gain new knowledge and strategies for his race while helping others with similar goals.
“This [race] was more of a mental grind than in my past events, as not only was the amount of time on my feet a challenge, but I also sustained an injury to my left ankle that put me in excruciating pain after about mile 57. And although it wasn’t the fastest finish, I was still able to stay focused, inspired, persevere, and finish.”
Now that he has recovered, Carasquillo is considering a race in France or Italy with Aisha and Jacob. “I thought it would be awesome to do this with our son Jacob as he is looking forward to being a part of the fundraiser and running in a youth race.”
The post The Runner Who Took on 100 Miles to Raise Funds for OAR first appeared on Organization for Autism Research.
