On BRAVE Wings, We RISE
He receives messages of encouragement and appreciation from all over the world. His story is one of hope and inspiration and his message remains the same, he is first a runner, who happens to have non-verbal autism. Nonverbal does not mean unable.
Instagram at @runrunJohn Facebook at Run John Run Twitter at @flybrave4autism.
He joined the Sacramento County Chargers Special Olympics Track and Field team and wowed the community with his 5 minute mile. He went on to run in 5/10k races and his dream got bigger, to run in the Boston Marathon. He began running half marathons, 20 milers and eventually his first full marathon, CIM, (California International Marathon), on Dec 3, 2017, in hopes to Boston qualify.
John sustained a broken ankle during the marathon around mile 6. Yet, he was determined to finish and he did. Despite his injury, he qualified for the Boston Marathon, completing the 26.2 mile race in 4 hours and 27 minutes.
- December 2, 2018: John ran CIM once again to upgrade his time for Boston and finished in 3:17!
- April 15, 2019: John ran the 2019 Boston Marathon in 3:52; sponsored by Total Nutrition and coached by Darren Morgan, Fleet Feet Racing.
Vanessa Bieker, Founder
A video tribute of our journey, from the beginning.
Fly Brave Foundation
You can say we grew up together as I was just 22 years old when he was diagnosed at 18 months of age. Although I was a single mom who worked full time and attended college at night, my quest to fill every free hour with giving John a purpose filled life was a priority. When he was diagnosed, I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions; however, I didn't sit there long. I got up and became pro-active in making sure he experienced everything life had to offer. I joined a parent support group where I met a therapist who told me the best thing I could do for him was to immerse him in the world; to give him every life experience possible to help him navigate through the world of autism. I took that information to heart and over the next two decades we would become explorers.
We found his gift of running in 2014 when we were out for a walk and stumbled upon a high school track. John experienced the normal pains of puberty and our evening strolls gave him a sense of calm. However, this time he was different. After running around that track several times, his anxiety lessened and instead of getting up throughout the night, he slept a full 8 hours uninterrupted.
John, Co-Founder
Special thanks to CBS13, Good Day Sac, ABC10, KCRA3, Fox40 and KNCI 105.1.
John's Media Coverage
John reached Boston TWICE and the Western States and is recognized worldwide as an Ambassador for Non-speaking Autism.
- November 9, 2019: He ran in the Boston Qualifying Revel race series, completing the Big Bear Marathon, his first mountain race that began at 6700 ft in elevation without a guide and finished in 3:28. He qualified for Boston once again! He ran the 2021 Boston Marathon on October 11, 2021 on his own without a support runner or guide in under 4 hours.
- February 29, 2020: he ran the Salmon Falls 50K, a 31 mile trail race. He finished in under 5 hours and came in the top 15 runners.
- April 2, 2022: ran the AR50 - 50 mile trail race in 8:30 finishing second in his age group.
- November 5, 2022: ran the Rio Del Lago 100 mile run in 28:02 and qualified for the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run - Tahoe to Auburn.
- June 24, 2023: He ran the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in 27 hours earning the famous WSER belt buckle.
I was 20 years old when John entered the world. I worked two jobs while going to college at night to build us a better life. John was diagnosed at 18 months with autism and life stood still for us for a while. 1994 was very different from 2024. While he did not develop spoken word, he is more aware of the world around him than most of us. He sees beneath the surface and opens my eyes to beauty I would normally miss. We climbed many mountains through childhood and puberty, and it felt like we had landed safely in a pretty cool place and then he aged out of school. Life stood still once again.
I was met with No's when applying for jobs for him. The social connections he had everyday were lost. His routine was now waiting for someone to call us back and offer him an opportunity. The reality of what awaits in adulthood was staring us in the face and it was eye opening.
I decided to leave my career behind to build what was missing and in doing so, realized this was my calling all along.
I wake up every day with a grateful heart that I get to work alongside a group of amazing people who share the same vision in making a difference in the world.
Faith, hope and love have carried us everywhere.