This Streamwood dad would run to the ends of the earth for his family.

Marlin Keesler completed 50 marathons in 50 states to teach his children, who were diagnosed with rare learning disorders, a lesson that no classroom could offer.

Keesler talked about his book, “Our Life on the Run: A Story of Running 50 Marathon in 50 States — A Family Quest” at the Victory Centre of Bartlett on Monday.

“I don’t even like running,” said Keesler. “When I thought about quitting, I just couldn’t. I never wanted [my children] to see Dad as a quitter.”

Keesler began his journey nearly a decade ago, when his son, Austin, now 18, and daughter, Erin, now 15, became isolated socially and academically.

At a young age, Austin did not want to play ball with other kids and struggled with his speech. At home, tension mounted as his parents fought to get him to complete his school work.

“Homework was the vice that was trying to break us apart,” he said. “Eventually, mom started doing the homework, and I became angry when I found out.

“We decided then and there we had to take action or five years down the road we are going to have greater problems.”

Keesler decided to take the family on vacation to Austin, Texas. While watching the children play in the pool, Keesler and his wife, Jeanne, created a list titled “What We Are Doing Wrong As Parents.”

The couple kept going back to the fact that Martin was absent from his children’s life. As the cargo service manager for Continental Airlines, Keesler often worked when his children came home from school and slept when they were awake.

While toeing the line for the start of a marathon the next day — he had run one or two before — Keesler noticed a few runners wearing “50 States Marathon Club” T-shirts.

He decided the concept of the club was quite impossible.

“I didn’t really think this was humanly possible, and, at the time, I didn’t really know there was a marathon in each state,” he said.

During the first two years, Keesler completed 10 marathons with his family by his side. However, he had already noticed a difference in his two children.

“We reconnected with our kids,” he said. “We were sitting around the campfire — they were telling us about their lives and we were telling them about our lives.

While Keesler did notice an improvement socially, his children still struggled in school.

Over the years, Austin had seen many specialists who had diagnosed him with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and several learning disorders. Finally, after his 12th birthday, Austin saw a psychologist who hit it right on the nose.

“She said ‘Sorry to tell you this, but your son has Asperger Syndrome and as parents, you have a lot of work to do,’” Keesler explained.

After reading books about Asperger Syndrome, Keesler coordinated with teachers and learned how to help Austin with his school work. Today, Keesler travels around educating other parents so their children may be diagnosed earlier.

Verna Ross, a resident of Victory Centre, enjoyed listening to Keesler talk about his family.
“I have a grandson with autism, and I think there is a lot parents can do,” Ross said.

Despite his many accomplishments, Keesler is not shy about what he is most proud of.

“I have 54 medals (four more earned after his trip) at home from each marathon,” he said. “I am most proud that they represent a family experience.”