Like a lot of us, Jimmy Scroggins was sitting around in 2020 with a lot of time on his hands and a lot of ideas. As a motivational speaker and co-founder of Arizona's 4 Life Foundation, Jimmy was used to being able to get out and do — not sitting inside and talking about it.
All that energy culminated in Jimmy hatching a plan to do something that would inspire people to come together for a positive reason for a change. He decided to run across the state of Arizona (a 334 mile journey) to prove that we can all do even the hardest things if we believe that we can — and if we have the support of people who believe we can, too.
Jimmy and his wife Virginia live in Arizona with their young daughter. The pair do a lot together; they both run their own businesses and also collaborate frequently through their non-profit organizations, the 4 Life Foundation and Just Keeping Pushing.
The work is intense at times but worth it. Jimmy and his 4 Life co-founder Ernesto Jimenez started out small back in 2016 when they organized volunteers to hand out small holiday gifts at a local park. That one event ballooned into the organization's annual 4 Life Holiday Workshop, which is their biggest event that serves over 800 kids each holiday season.
Children attend completely for free, and every child gets to pick a toy, carnival games with prizes, tons of inflatables, a live DJ, pictures with Santa, popcorn and cookies and fun for the whole family.
That kind of spirit is what motivated Jimmy to map out his 2020 run across Arizona. He began the run at the California/Arizona border and ran toward Phoenix, ending the journey at the park he used to go to as a child. The run itself was grueling, and Jimmy would wake up at 5 a.m. to run 10-15 miles and then run another 10-15 miles at 6 p.m.
His wife followed him in their truck and people from all over the state would join him for stretches either by running, biking, or driving alongside him. The run took 13 days and Jimmy was often out in an intense heat, but the journey was entirely worth it.
The first day was the toughest, but Jimmy says he was able to call to mind the words from his grandmother that have inspired him throughout his life: "just keep pushing."
Jimmy is no stranger to overcoming adversity and hardship. His mother died after a domestic violence incident when he was 13, and he grew up with 13 individuals under one roof and faced bullying as a child. These experiences have become the reason he pushes himself so hard to succeed now.
The run took a major toll on his physical and mental state. Jimmy ended up with tons of blisters, ingrown toenails, and even had to get IVs to keep himself from dehydrating. By the end of it, he was depleted, but also more motivated than ever before.
This year, Jimmy and Virginia have planned a virtual 5k that can be completed from anywhere in the world anyway you want to do it (running, walking, and biking all work, to name a few). You can register for the 5k at Eventbrite, and share your own 5k progress with Jimmy and his family by tagging him on Instagram.
Important Links and Info:
- Sign up for the 5k here
- Cost: $15
- Date: August 29, 2023
- How to join: complete your own 5k from anywhere in the world! When you're finished, share your photos or videos by tagging @4lifefoundation on Instagram.
