Castro is a highly decorated U.S. Army officer who lost his eyesight in a mortar blast while deployed to Iraq in 2006. After a 17-month rehabilitation he returned to duty and until his retirement in 2016 was the only blind Special Forces Soldier in the service.
Castro has completed more than 80 marathons, including the Chicago, New York, Marine Corps and Air Force marathons. He has also cycled across the U.S. and hiked 200 miles across Antarctica. He co-authored a book on his life titled Fighting Blind: A Green Beret’s Story of Extraordinary Courage.
“We are so excited to have Ivan as our guest for this year’s race,” said the race director, Rob Aguiar. “He has such an inspirational story and has overcome so much. I think runners are going to enjoy hearing what he has to say.”
Castro will speak at the Sports and Fitness Expo, Breakfast of Champions and the Gourmet Pasta dinner.
The Air Force Marathon, presented by Northrop Grumman, USAA and Boeing, will be held Sept. 16. The Sports & Fitness Expo is held at Wright State University’s Nutter Center and will be Sept. 14-15. The event will also feature a Gourmet Pasta Dinner and Breakfast of Champions on Sept.15. For more information about the race visit www.usafmarathon.com.
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