AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin American-Statesman Cap10K race is back in town this weekend, and many Central Texans have been preparing for the grand day.
Rudolph Pirovitz is an 83-year-old man who walked about four years ago with his daughter. He was hoping to start racing annually, but his health took priority.
"I fell down the driveway and cracked my hip," he said.
For the last couple of weeks, Pirovitz has been training for the big day. Getting to a point where he could walk unassisted was a process, but he made it.
"The guy that repaired my hip told me that for a person my age, it was probably only a 10% chance that I would get back where I was," he added. "The chances were that I would be one level down that I would either have to have a cane or a crutch or a walker. And I didn't want to do that. So I said, 'I'm going to be in the 10%.'"
Pirovitz's son, John Pirovitz, said his dad was determined to defy all odds.
"He's a stubborn old man," he said. "He just said he's going to be in that 10%. He wanted to finish the race and wanted to do it and not be tied to a cane or a walker."
Pirovitz was also diagnosed with congestive heart failure, a condition where his heart doesn't pump blood as efficiently as it should. Despite that, Pirovitz stays positive and is determined to cross the finish line. He'll be completing his race along with five other family members who will cheer him on until the very end.
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