Holly Koester believes in attaining goals. August 2 she achieved her goal of competing in marathons in all 50 states by racing in the Southeast Road Runners Frank Maier Marathon.
What makes her feat even more impressive is that she'll be the first person, male or female, to accomplish this in a push-rim racing chair. It will be the 48-year-old Koester's 102nd marathon in all. While Koester was always athletic, she didn't start participating in marathons until she lost the use of her legs 18 years ago.
Koester, an Army captain at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, had been in the U.S. Army for nine years when she was called on post for Desert Storm in 1990. As she drove to report for her post in a civilian vehicle with a history of tipping over she went on a temporary road and the car rolled. She injured her spinal chord and lost the use of her legs.
In 1995, she competed in her first marathon in Columbus, Ohio, and she was hooked. She started off sticking close to home, only competing near her home in Walton Hills, Ohio, where she is a substitute teacher. Florida was the first marathon she did outside of Ohio about five years after her first race. She explained that finding marathons to compete in can be tricky for wheelchair athletes.
"Wheelchair racers have to pick wheelchair friendly races because they need pavement."
She also likes races where all entrants start at the same line. She was then introduced to the 50 States Marathon Club, and completing marathons in all 50 states became her next goal.
When asked what the people close to her thought about her marathon races, she said her mom thought she was crazy. "Mom still thinks I'm crazy. She thinks driving 26 miles is a long way. My friends and family are really proud of me, but they still think I'm crazy."
Koester said her most memorable marathon was also her most difficult. She was all set to race in the Mount Rushmore marathon in South Dakota and scouted the downhill route into Rapid City before the race. The 26.2-mile race was then changed to an uphill one into Crazy Horse. Determined to finish the race, she crossed the finish line more than seven hours after the last runner and, according to an article in the Crazy Horse Memorial, the people that waited were moved to tears.
"I was so happy to cross the finish line, and it was so cold and my heart was warmed to see people still waiting for me. I was totally blown away and didn't expect the reception, and it was family and people that didn't know me," Koester said.
Holly Koester
