By Monty Siekerman
Matt Hill, jogging in Ada's intense heat this last week, is an inspiring and determined man out to prove he can run a half marathon with one good leg and one leg mostly manufactured.
Matt Hill is an inspiration to others because others have inspired him to overcome adversity. Matt was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at the age of 18, just before he was ready to enroll in Ohio Northern's pharmacy school. The result of the diagnosis: amputating his right leg six inches below the knee.
On October 15, he will join 18,000 people running in the Columbus Marathon. His goal is to complete a half marathon of 13.1 miles. To build endurance he runs 4 to 8 miles a day, five times a week in Ada. He completed 7 miles on a hot day on the day we caught up with him.
What motivates him? Several things.
He has great respect for his dad, John, who ran in high school, then hung up his shoes after graduation. After Matt's diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma, his Dad took up running again to encourage his son. His Dad, age 50, will run the full marathon in Columbus on the day Matt competes.
Matt is indebted to his hometown near Marietta for all the support from the school and the entire community of Little Hocking The day of his amputation, people lined the highway for miles--cheering and holding signs--to encourage him.
He is motivated to run because of the care he received at Nationwide Children's Hospital, the compassion and dedication of everyone there. In fact, the Columbus Marathon is named for Nationwide, its sponsor. Matt said he is fortunate to work in pharmacy at Nationwide during ONU vacations.
The man you see jogging throughout Ada with one good leg and a running blade on the other said that another motivation to run a half marathon is to inspire those in a cancer support group for teenagers and young adults that he attends. He said they were helpful to him after the surgery, now he wants to be a good example to new people who join the support group. He said that for him the race is a tribute to friends still in treatment.
Matt is a fourth year pharmacy student. He was passionate about healthcare in high school, so when the cancer was diagnosed, it was natural for him to enter pharmacy.
He said he chose Ohio Northern because it has the absolute best reputation in Ohio.
On campus, Matt helps with Colleges Against Cancer, the Relay for Life event at Ohio Northern. Also, he is active in Sigma Theta Epsilon, a Christian service organization; Phi Mu Alpha, music service fraternity; and Ada Family Center, a church that meets on campus.
The 23-year old, fourth-year pharmacy student looks forward to the race in Columbus in two weeks. Next June, he can claim five years of being in remission, the five-year goal that many cancer patients strive to reach so they can say, "I'm cancer free." In the meantime, life for Matt is hitting the books and jogging, all the while inspiring others.
