Joshua Mast
Kokomo, Ind.
Joshua Mast’s #IndyMini journey began in February 2018. Mast had struggled for years to quit smoking and didn’t feel he was in his best physical shape. As a new father, Mast knew he had to make a change so his daughter wouldn’t grow up to believe that behavior was acceptable.
One night, after getting home from his midnight shift at the factory, he stood in his garage, waiting for his daily conference call, which he usually accompanied with a cigarette. However, that night he decided that he was either going to purchase another pack of cigarettes, and continue with the unhealthy habit, or he was going to buy a pair of jogging pants. Mast chose the latter, and headed out into the cold, early morning to purchase the pants from a store. Since he spent money on the pants, he felt committed to getting into shape. He told his fiancé that he was going to run the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, something that seemed slightly unbelievable at the time. However, Mast turned the skepticism into motivation for his training. After all, he was making these healthy changes so that he would be around to see his daughter grow up and experience life. So on a frigid February morning, Mast headed out for his first run. He was discouraged by the walking breaks he had to do and how out of shape he felt. The road ahead of him felt long, but he was confident that he was going to cross the Indy Mini finish line in May. He changed his diet and fitness routine, going from fast food and little to no physical activity to a diet heavily consisting of greens and daily exercise.
On May 5, 2018, Mast crossed the finish line. He had come far to change his life in a short amount of time and accomplished an incredible goal. Mast signed up for the 2019 Indy Mini following his first race, and encouraged his fiancé to join him. He also hopes to work up to a full marathon by the end of this year. For Mast, it all started with a goal and a pair of jogging pants, but what he achieved has made a monumental impact on his life.
Turn your goals into accomplishments and join Joshua at the 2019 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. Register now at indymini.com/register.