KOLOA — With the finish line in sight at the 13th annual Old Koloa Sugar Mill 10K, Jason and Josh Iloreta gave it their all. And as they came charging down the final stretch on Ala Kinoiki Road Saturday morning,
KOLOA — With the finish line in sight at the 13th annual Old Koloa Sugar Mill 10K, Jason and Josh Iloreta gave it their all.
And as they came charging down the final stretch on Ala Kinoiki Road Saturday morning, their Wailua Homesteads family and friends waved signs, yelled and applauded.
It was, said their mom Emma Iloreta, beautiful to watch.
“The two boys have been waiting for this race a long time,” she said. “I’m very proud.”
What made this fun run so special was that Jason, 23, was pushing Josh, 25, who has cerebral palsy, in his new Axiom Adrenaline Elite racing wheelchair that arrived Tuesday.
They finished in 1 hour, 8 minutes and 21 seconds, good for 89th place in a field of 133.
“Really good,” said family friend William Burwell, when asked about the brothers’ performance. “I really appreciate them.”
Under cool, cloudy skies but battling some strong headwinds, Jason pushed the 96-pound Josh and the 35-pound chair through the 6.2-mile course that included plenty of ups and downs.
Both wore green shirts with a message printed on the front: “The only difference between you and I is that you say I can’t and I say I will.” And on the back, in large letters, it read, “I am my ability.”
Jason said he had to work hard on the uphills and his legs were weary, but because he had prepared well, they finished strong.
Josh, he added with a big smile, stayed awake the whole time and eyed the finish line with pride.
“It felt great, yeah. We were excited,”Jason said. “We took it pretty easy for first three miles, then tried to go faster. At the end, we gunned it all the way in.”
Friend Thomas Gausepohl ran with them Saturday. He’s been there when they’ve hiked and surfed and gone beyond the limits of what some thought possible.
He was inspired, but not surprised.
“They’ve been doing all kinds of stuff like this,” he said. “It’s going to keep going.”
Jason said the encouragement before, during and after the race was wonderful. He was pleased they completed the longtime goal.
“To be out there, to actually finish our first one, it feels good,” he said.
It won’t be their last, either. The brothers have plans for more adventures — together.
“We’re just getting started,” Jason said.
