S-W man with cerebral palsy prepares for his fifth Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace

June 26--SEDRO-WOOLLEY -- Hundreds of runners and walkers will take to the streets July 4 for the 39th annual Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace.

In the back of that slowly moving mass of humanity will be Sedro-Woolley'sMatthew DesVoigne, who has cerebral palsy.

"I am just happy to be able to do this," DesVoigne said. "I don't want to get trampled, so I know where to stand."

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DesVoigne is the kind of individual who lavishes in the moment. Inside the hall of Sedro-Woolley'sBethlehem Lutheran Church, he's all smiles and laughs often. It's the same carefree attitude he has out on the 2-mile fun run/walk route.

DesVoigne knows he's blessed. He loves life and understands more than most how precious it is.

"I am so thankful for this church," he said. "It has really made me who I am."

Brock Stiles is the race's director and past president of the Sedro-Woolley Rotary Club. The club sponsors the run and all proceeds go to its scholarship fund.

"Although Matthew has physical challenges," Stiles said, "he is an inspiration to everyone who know him for his outlook and desire to participate as much as he can."

The 52-year-old DesVoigne doesn't shy away from his disability. He's more than willing to talk about his condition and thanks individuals for inquiring.

"I was a breach birth on April 24, 1964, in Coupeville," he said. "I came out butt first. That wasn't right. So that is what caused the cerebral palsy. Because of a lack of air, the left side of my brain is, well, sort of paralyzed. It also caused a severe ulcer in my stomach. I have a scar all the way across."

The odds were not in DesVoigne's favor of surviving and the care he needed exceeded the capabilities of the local hospital. Two days later he was airlifted to Seattle Children's Hospital, where he spent the next three weeks. Even with the around-the-clock care, the prognosis remained grim.

"The doctors said I would either die or spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair," he recalled. "My mother let them know she was not going to have any of it. I was released, and as soon as it was possible, my mom got me in therapy at the Skagit Valley Hospital. We would drive from Oak Harbor all the way to Mount Vernon for therapy.

"The therapist said they would see what they could do. One taught me to ride a scooter. Another had me pass a soccer ball back and forth. I made it because of them (therapists) and especially my mom. She never gave up."

He wore leg braces in elementary school.

"I looked a lot like Forrest Gump," he said with a laugh. "That is my favorite movie."

After graduating from high school, he attended Pacific Lutheran University and earned a physics degree in 1996. He received his master's degree from Oregon State University in 1999.

DesVoigne moved to North Carolina and spent the next nine years working for a nonprofit organization in Raleigh. Unable to secure a job in his field, he decided to pursue a degree in accounting. Attending night school, he received his accounting degree in 2008 and his accreditation in 2010.

DesVoigne's perseverance is nothing short of inspirational. This will be his fifth Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace and it comes on the heels of the Skagit Valley Tulip Run, Have a Heart Run and the Relay for Life. On the horizon is the Bubble Run and the Skagit Jingle Bell Run/Walk.

"I appreciate the causes," DesVoigne said of the events in which participates. "They are important. So that is why I get involved."

You may have seen him dressed as Elvis, or a hippie from the 1960s while running in races that cater to such things.

"I know a lot of people in Sedro-Woolley," he said. "And when you are walking in that race, you see a lot of friends, family and co-workers. That makes it special."

He especially likes the Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace because it follows the parade route, which is lined with spectators.

"It's different than other races because there so many people watching," DesVoigne said. "People are lined up to watch the parade. It makes you feel like you are part of it. At least that is how I feel."

DesVoigne has worked in the accounting/finance department at Snelson Companies, Inc., in Sedro-Woolley for five years. He lives on his own in a condo and bikes to and from work. He hits the local gym at least two times per week.

"I bike about a mile each way to work," he said. "I get great gas mileage. I keep busy."

DesVoigne started participating in walking events in 1999. His first was the Swedish SummeRun & Walk for Ovarian Cancer in Seattle.

The Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace course covers a rather unorthodox 5.17 miles, due to a well-documented malfunction of the vehicles' odometer responsible for clocking the inaugural race mileage.

It's a popular race. "We are steady around 700 entrants," said Stiles.

And DesVoigne will happily be one of those, taking it all in with a wide, infectious smile.

-- Reporter Vince Richardson: 360-416-2181, vrichardson@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter: @Sports_SVH, Facebook.com/vincereports.

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