Former Sailor Sprints Past His Obstacles To The Finish Line

Morbid obesity, an autoimmune disease and loss of motor functions could not stop former sailor from running alongside 700 participants in esteemed competition Four years after joining the Navy in 2005, Newnam contracted a devastating autoimmune disease after spending hours on top of the submarine, guiding his unit to dock during a rough storm in the North Atlantic Sea. Wanting to wane off of the medication, Newnam turned to natural remedies in 2010, meditating, praying and fasting to combat the trauma. The couple's 19-month-old son, Grayson, was on the sidelines Sunday, wearing a white T-shirt reading, "Go, Daddy, Go!" His mom and aunt from the Nashville area were also on hand, wearing Team Newnam shirts. Newnam now works as a strategy consultant, with a side job as the founder of Delta Life, a life coaching startup that he launched last year to help others with weight loss and other self improvement through group fasting, coaching and more. Tonya Newnam had one piece of advice for those with loved ones struggling from chronic pain.