DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Coffee and costumes set the scene in Gills Rock, and cheers echoed as hundreds of runners took off on Saturday for the Fall 50.
This included Max Krohn, who ran the entire 50.7-mile course as a solo ultramarathon runner.
"I've never really had the nervousness feeling," Krohn said before starting the race. "It's more (like) I'm just wanting to get out there."
Krohn says his journey to participating in Saturday's event is special.
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On Feb. 14, 2022, Krohn suffered a spinal contusion while snowboarding in Breckenridge, Colorado, and was left paralyzed from the neck down.
"It took (a) few months to get back to walking," Krohn said. "That has really propelled me to find out what I'm capable of."
His journey has taught him something extraordinary.
"I have so much more in the tank than I thought beforehand," Krohn said. "Before my injury, I didn't know what was possible with the human body and the human mind. So, I explored that."
Since his recovery, Krohn has run in many long distance competitions in his home state of Wisconsin and Texas, where he lives now.
"I'm just incredibly proud of his determination, his motivation, and the fact that he's given back to his community," Krohn's mother Beth Resch said.
That includes the Door County native raising money from this year's Fall 50 for the Boys & Girls Club of Door County. His grandfather, Dave Resch, is a trustee for the organization.
"It's also to raise awareness of what the Boys & Girls Club (of Door County) does in our community here," Dave Resch said. "But also to inspire others on what they can do if they put their minds to it and really work hard and have a passion."
Krohn puts it this way.
"I firmly believe that if you want to do it, you can," he said.
Dave says that Krohn has reached his goal of raising $20,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Door County. You can donate to Krohn's fundraising page here.
