Ep. 44 Jim and Riley Pathman

Wisconsin Notes Podcast

Riley Pathman is a staple at November Project San Diego. He’s strong, joyful, has incredible endurance, and has a sarcastic and fun chauffeur named Jim, who also happens to be his Dad. Today on Wisconsin Notes, I have the honor of interviewing 2 of the 4 members of Team Pathman out in California. Over 20 years ago, Riley and his brother Shane were born 14 weeks premature, resulting in a movement disorder called cerebral palsy. The shock of caring for twins with special needs was quickly pivoted by Jim and his wife Lisa to a mindset of “If other kids can do it, then ours can too.” If the adaptive equipment didn’t exist, Jim built it. If there was a sport his sons were interested in, he made it happen. Riley is competitive and thrives in the racing atmosphere, which is what he is missing so dearly during these lockdown times. So this past week the Pathmans hosted their very first “Everybody’s Home Half Marathon”, complete with a loop around their home (which they ran 265 times!), a DJ, cheering dinosaurs, official timers, and a post race beer garden. Due to Riley’s underlying respiratory issues, the Pathmans will be on lockdown for months to come so this most likely be the first of a complete “Everybody’s Home Race Series” so keep an eye out for the next race. This is a long one but worth every minute as these two will quickly turn your day around and motivate you to lace up your shoes and get out the door today.