If you’ve ever crossed the finish line after running a marathon of 26 miles, can you imagine then going another 24?
But a 50-mile run is exactly what Florida International University (FIU) alumnus Damect Dominguez (Evening MBA ’09, BBA ’03) accomplished for the ISMILE School for Autism. Dominguez, who recently co-founded Dare2Live Events and Adventures with fellow alumnus Yeimilyn Lorenzo (MBA ’08, BBA ’06), had been approached by the school to help organize a fund-raising campaign for their summer camp program.
“I decided to do the work pro bono, and volunteered to do a 50-mile run called ‘ManUp50: 50 Miles for ISMILE’ to gain publicity and raise money,” he said. “It’s a good cause.”
On April 3, 2011, Dominguez started his journey at 4:30 a.m. at Delray Beach. Destination: Miami Beach.
A group of people he calls the “ManUp50 crew” took turns running a few miles with him along the way.
He gets by with a little help from his friends.
A half-marathon was the longest run Dominguez had done prior to the ManUp50 event. So it’s not surprising that the April event was long and arduous for him, lasting about 12 hours.
“At mile 35, I really hit a wall,” he said. “I didn’t think I could go on. But people who were running with me at the time stayed by my side till the end, motivating me to finish.”
Running the last miles with Dominguez were two FIU alumnae: Christine Daneshgar (MNS ’09) and track and field star Isel Ramos (BA ’09).
“It felt good to have FIU people crossing the finish line with me,” he said.
Dominguez, a marketing major as an undergraduate, said his two degrees from the College of Business Administration help him as he journeys on his new path.
“Dare2Live Events & Adventures hosts unforgettable experiences that allow you to step out of your comfort zone while networking socially or professionally,” he said. “What I learned at FIU, everything from marketing to finance, has helped tremendously.”
ISMILE is a non-profit autism outreach program in Miami Springs.
