Don Talley speaks from the stage during one of his many speaking engagements in the United States. Two decades later, Talley, the father of two daughters, is still inspiring youth as he travels the United States and abroad as senior director of ministry expansion for YFC, a role in which he mobilizes, trains, speaks to and coaches young people and leaders of young people. From his home in Castle Rock, Colo., near the ministry’s national headquarters, Talley traveled 70,000 miles on behalf of YFC last year. •••
would have leaders like me who would invest in them,” their mentor said. Talley arrived in San Diego several days in advance of the marathon to rest and prepare, and planned to travel back to Colorado after giving his body a day to recover. His schedule included trips to Chicago and Baltimore over the two weeks following the marathon. Despite his busy schedule, there was never a doubt Talley would participate. “Let’s bring visibility to the fact that there are thousands of YFC leaders, volunteers and employed staff, around this country that are intentionally investing in kids, just like I did with them,” he said. “My role in the movement today is to inspire and to equip more leaders to work with more kids than they ever have before. “It’s more about us pushing the mission of Youth for Christ forward, to raise a little bit of money for YFC to equip more leaders. I don’t think I would want to put myself through this physically if it was just about a tribute.” Before the race there was no way of knowing how Talley’s body would respond to the demands of the marathon. Though he rode in the wheelchair, there
is little doubt his bones and compromised muscles absorbed each jarring bump along the course. But playing it safe, though, has never been a viable option for a man who routinely sacrifices his body to reach teens. When he waivers in that conviction, Talley said he clings to the “mystery of the 52 percent”—that portion of his lung capacity that is now lost and without which his astonished doctors can’t fathom how he not only lives, but also thrives. Tally relies heavily on Acts 17:25 which says God “himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” “I think with every breath, God brings the other 52,” he said. “That is so true with every part of our lives. When you really think about it, how can we ever out-bring, outdo, out-give God? He will always ask me to bring everything I can to the table: how he has crafted me, my gifts and my abilities and my strength— and my weaknesses. He wants everything on the table, but when you count it all out it’s just 48 percent and He will always bring more.” ■ Learn more at www.dontalley.com.
Talley earned more frequent flier miles the weekend of Jan. 18, when he returned home to San Diego for a marathon benefiting his ministry. To mark Talley’s 26th anniversary with Youth for Christ, a team of eight former students, including Ashwell, created the Run with Don campaign in which they pushed their former youth leader in a wheelchair along the 26.2-miles of the Carlsbad Marathon, held Jan. 19. “He pushed us and now it’s time for us to push back,” said Ashwell, saying the goal was to raise money and awareness for YFC. “In high school he pushed us and he challenged us to live for God and to live a lifestyle that focused on our character, our confidence, our responsibility and our faith. He challenged us as high school kids, he pushed us to become better. This is our chance to push back and to help him further his ministry to keep providing opportunities for high school kids like he did for us.” Talley said that he was surprised by the gesture, but not by the heart behind it. “These are people who are now wanting to invest back into the ministry so that kids in different parts of the country February 2014 | REFRESHED
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