'Team Jake' Send Tribute to Son

Monday 08th of January 2007 05:32:33 PM

'Team Jake' Send Tribute to Son

Steven Robert ran his first marathon last year, at the 2006 Orange County Marathon, in order to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy. Now in its 3rd year, the O.C. Marathon is a gruelling 26.2 miles long, from Newport Beach’s Fashion Island, to the Irvine Spectrum.

Robert jogged the last 100 yards of last years O.C. Marathon with his four-year-old son, Jake Ryan Lee Robert, cradled in his arms. Unable to talk because of his severe cerebral palsy, Jake lay laughing in his father’s arms, giving him the will to cross the finish line.

This year, he was surrounded by about 50 friends and family members, including two of his sons, aged nine and seven. Sadly, Robert found that his son had passed away, when he went to wake him the morning after the 2006 marathon. In tribute to Jake, Robert and his 50 or so fellow runners all wore T-Shirts, bearing pictures of a smiling little boy.

‘Team Jake Ryan’ was cheered as they crossed the start line, the announcer shouting, “Go team Jake!”

The majority of Team Jake walked the half marathon together, and had a new addition last November, Cody Ryan, Robert’s fifth son.

Robert said this year’s marathon was to celebrate Jake’s life, and to get together as a family, but also said it was bittersweet. He found it tough to finish the race. "It was very emotional," he says. "It just felt like someone was missing."

Also running the race this year was C.J. Howard, a survivor of bone cancer. The 19 year old ran the race with a prosthetic leg, after having his leg amputated to stop the spread of the cancer. Mere feet from the finishing line, he stopped, removed his prosthetic leg, and to cheers from the crowd, hopped over the line, waving his leg above his head.