For many years, Marlin Keesler worked too hard and spent way too many hours away from his family. He knew deep down that his children needed more time with their Daddy. When his son Austin turned 5 years old, Marlin and his wife felt that something just wasn't normal with his development and knew they had to do something.

Austin wasn't communicating in full sentences, had problems with motor & social skills, and was at times oppositional. There would be 7 years of grief and frustration before he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome - a high functioning form of Autism. That was in 1994, the very same year Marlin ran his first Marathon.

Marlin Keesler is the first person to admit he doesn't like running much. The decision to run a marathon surprised even himself. Initially, he did this just to be able to say he ran a marathon, to stay in shape, to set a goal and follow through with it and be a good roll model for his kids. "Strangely enough, I did not even enjoy running, but I do believe that sometimes in life we have to do the things that we do not like because there is great value in the end result".

When Marlin signed up for his first marathon 6 months before the race, he chuckled at himself for questioning the fee to become a participant. He thought that it would be much more appropriate for the runners to be paid to run 26.2 miles - that's a long distance! Little did he know that he would eventually go on to running a marathon in each of the 50 states.

Running in marathons all over the United States allowed Marlin and his family to travel together and to reconnect on a level he never knew possible. To see the countryside, to visit relatives and old acquaintances across the US was such a blessing to all of the Keesler's.

After a while, Marlin and his wife Jeanne noticed some of the same behaviors that Austin displayed in their daughter Erin. Eventually, Erin was diagnosed with Turners Syndrome, which occurs in girls born without two fully formed X chromosomes. This commonly causes short stature, underdevelopment and infertility and can be associated with an array of complications, from arthritis to kidney problems to diabetes.

The Keesler's decided to parlay the marathon running into a learning experience for their children, as a means to supplement their education. Their goal to learn something from each state they traveled was soon transformed into an opportunity for true connection, growth and a deeper understanding of their children's needs.

Throughout their travels they put together a scrapbook to chronicle their adventures as a family. Ultimately, this developed into a full-fledged published book titled, "Our Life On The Run" and website OurLifeOnTheRun.com

Marlin is passionate about helping other parents who have children with autism. He books speaking engagements all over the country to help others understand the disease and to let them know they are not in this alone.

The devotion to his family is the highest priority in Marlin's life. Over and over he swears that he would run to the ends of the earth for his family - and that is exactly what he does.