SoKY’s Choice: Man to run across Kentucky to raise money for children

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Everyone has hobbies – fishing, hunting, gardening, but some strive to go beyond the norm.

A Kentucky man is trying to do just that. Peter Gall is from Frankfort, owns a gym called Undisputed Fitness and has a goal to run 450 miles across the state of Kentucky from Mayfield to Belfry near the Virginia border, something that he’s been training very hard for.

“I’ve done an ultra marathon. I did a 12-hour race and ran 50 miles a week. After that, I did what’s called the Bourbon Chase. It’s like kind of a a big run in this area where it’s like a 220-mile race. You do it with a 12 person team or a six person team. Well, I did my ultra, six days later, I did the six person Bourbon Chase and I ran the most, did about 49 miles,” Gall said

Through his journey, Gall plans on making multiple stops, including some here in south-central Kentucky, but Bowling Green remains a complicated place for him to visit. In September of 2017, Gall was involved in a tragic accident that left one of his friends dead. Gall pled guilty and was later sentenced to shock probation and served over 100 days in the Warren County Jail and spent five years on probation.

Since being released, though, Gall has tried to use his experience to help others become the best version of themselves.

“I feel like this is my way over my last eight years or so of relearning exercise and getting in shape. Now owning a gym, I feel like this is my way of trying to give back,” Gall said. “If we raise the 25 grand and just in a way that people will see it and challenge themselves, that’s what it’s you know, for me, that’s what it is. It’s supposed to challenge other people. It’s supposed to make other people want to try to be great and do something themselves”.

Alan Simpson, the man who represented Gall in court, says that the incident that Gall was involved in was a terrible tragedy marked by bad decisions that led to the accident, but that out of the many people he has represented over the years, Gall’s turnaround in life has been nothing but spectacular.

“I have stayed in touch with Peter and his mother all throughout his amazing rebuilding of his life and beyond proud of him. I have represented thousands of people and Peter stands out as one of those who has made one of the most amazing turnarounds in his life. He is not just talking the talk. He is putting in the hard work and is motivated by proving to himself and others that everyone deserves a second chance,” Simpson said in a statement to WNKY News 40.

The amazing feat that Gall is trying to achieve would land him in the company of very few individuals and shocked friends and family the first time that he told them about his plans.

“The thing is, when I met him, already knew he was kind of athletic and moved around. So but running across Kentucky is not something I ever thought I’d see him do, honestly,” said Neff McCutchen, a friend of Peter Gall.

But Gall isn’t doing this for personal glory, fame or recognition, but rather a much more humble reason. Gall is running to raise $25,000 for his nonprofit, the And Still Foundation, which focuses on helping children and their families afford expensive sports equipment so that all children can enjoy their favorite exercise activities.

“It’s become a huge financial burden on people who are already struggling. In today’s world where everything’s overpriced, everything is, you know, built on having the nicest stuff that you can’t afford. If we’re going to be honest, that’s just unfair to me,” Gall said on his reason for running.

Gall will be taking off from Mayfield on Aug. 18 and plans on finishing in Belfry, Kentucky on Sept. 6.