Press Release - Disney Marathon - 1/7/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                Blind Army Hero to Run Nearly 40 Miles in 
               Disney Half and Full Marathons This Weekend 
			   
After nearly being killed about four years ago during a mortar attack that 
left him permanently blind, Army Captain Ivan Castro of Hoboken, NJ will 
take on runDisney's biggest test this weekend: Goofy's Race and a Half 
Challenge which involves running the Disney Half Marathon on Saturday and 
the Disney Marathon on Sunday.

The Purple Heart recipient will tie a two-foot-long string to his guide, 
Jeff Bryan, who will lead Castro through both the 13.1-mile Disney Half 
Marathon on Saturday and the 26.2-mile Disney Marathon on Sunday for a 
total of nearly 40 miles.

Castro, 43, is one of only three blind active duty officers serving in the 
Army and the only blind officer in the Army's elite Special Forces unit 
(a.k.a. Green Beret), the Army's most specialized experts in unconventional 
warfare. In the mortar attack in Iraq, shrapnel caused the loss of his eyes 
as well as a collapsed lung, several broken bones and facial damage that 
required surgical reconstruction. He nearly died. Yet after 17 months of 
rehab, he has recovered enough to run 13 previous marathons, two 
triathlons, an ultra triathlon, plus several bike races and other endurance 
events. 

Following Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, Castro will take part in the 
Disneyland Half Marathon, which takes place September 4 (Anaheim, Ca), 
which will earn him runDisney's Coast to Coast medal for running signature 
runDisney events on the East and West coasts. The date will mark the fifth 
anniversary of the mortar attack.

High resolution, broadcast quality B-roll and sound with Captain Ivan 
Castro will be available for download and media use by mid-afternoon on 
Sunday, January 9.

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