Keesler nurses run Disney's half marathon Published Sept. 29, 2010 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Saturday night, two Keesler nurses will be in Orlando, Fla., for the inaugural Walt Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon. Mary Peterson and Chris Johnson are avid runners and coworkers on the 81st Medical Group Hospital's surgical inpatient unit. The race begins at 10 p.m. from the Wide World of Sports Complex, passes through Disney's Animal Kingdom and ends at Epcot's World Showcase. Peterson has added to the challenge by trying to raise $2,000 for blood cancer research as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. "Running is fun, but I get more motivated when it's for a better cause than just myself," the 26-year-old Louisiana native said. "I'm running for each person and their families and loved ones whose lives are affected by these awful diseases. I haven't met my fund-raising goal yet, and the clock is ticking." Keesler is the first duty station for Peterson, a 26-year-old Louisiana native who's been in the Air Force for 2½ years. "The Air Force requires us to stay fit, so I run," Peterson explained. "But we have a family saying that, 'If one is good, more is better.' We call it Aunt Alice Syndrome after a family member who started with this train of thought in her cooking. So I applied it to running -- if 1½ miles is good, then 13.1 miles is better!" In 2009, Peterson completed the Air Force Half Marathon and the Gulf Coast Half Marathon at the Stennis Space Center. "That second race was amazing," Peterson pointed out. "I paced with a 70-year-old man who had just started running four years prior. He was running his 40th race in celebration of being in remission from prostate cancer for four years. He travels all over the U.S. running full marathons, one each month, sometimes two. He was an inspiration to run not only for myself, but for someone else and a higher cause." To donate to Peterson's fundraising effort, log on to http://pages.teamintraining.org/ms/diswine10/peterson Johnson, 29, joined the Air Force 13 months ago, and Keesler is his first assignment. "I've been running for about eight years," Johnson said. "I typically run about 15 miles a week unless training for an event like this. My past running experience has just involved me running on my own for the past eight years. Although this is Johnson's first half marathon, "I have my first bachelor's degree in exercise science and fitness. I run and lift five or six days a week so physical activity has always been a part of me." The location of the event was a motivator for Johnson. "It's at Disney World and I'm a Disney fan," Johnson commented. "I'm a competitor and an avid runner -- after running this, I know that there'll be more to follow."