Just before sunrise, on Saturday, September 28, Jason “Zeke” Petrie stood with anticipation at the Akron Marathon starting line. Neither fear nor doubt could enter his mind, because he had immeasurable strength on his side—the support of teammate Andre Travis.

At 6:59am, they crossed the starting line and set out to make history. As the hours passed, tens of thousands of spectators at the race and online, joined together to support the inspiring team. The streets along the 26.2 mile path, boomed with chants for Andre and Zeke.

After a four hour and 53 minute journey, the team approached the finish line in Canal Park Stadium. Cheers rang out from every corner of the town. With just feet before the finish, Zeke stopped and embraced Andre. Together, as friends, they celebrated the moment.

“Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord…” shouted Andre at the finish, “…never stop believing that you can do anything!” Together, Andre and Zeke built a legacy. Through passion, drive and friendship, they blazed a trail for people to follow.

But the Akron Marathon is only the beginning. Andre strongly believes his mission is to become a motivational speaker. So to end this historic chapter in his life, we’ll leave you with his passionate words:

Life is a dream.
You always got to have faith.
Believe you can do anything you put your mind to.
And God will guide you.