Hello, friends. I am sad to share that Mark “Mace” Macy passed away on June 8, 2026 after battling Alzheimer’s with all of his grit. In memory of an extraordinary endurance athlete, husband, father, and friend, I'm resharing his story—and our recent podcast conversation. Please take a moment to read what Mace shared with me a few years ago about what it was like to be handed an Alzheimer’s diagnosis at the age of 64. His initial gut reaction—that he would never be ashamed of having Alzheimer’s—grew into a movement to erase the stigma attached to the disease.
I was incredibly fortunate to know Mace, to bask in his spirit, and to learn from him. Please join me in honoring Mace’s legacy by donating to the Mind What Matters Caregiver Relief Fund and designate “Mace” on the donor page.
Today I’d like to introduce you to a few of my friends in the mission to prevent Alzheimer’s—Travis and Mark “Mace” Macy.
A highlight of the book tour has been to share the stage with the father/son team and their new book A Mile At A Time: A father and son’s inspiring journey of love, adventure, and hope. I love this book! Every family with Alzheimer’s has a unique story to tell, and the Macy family shares theirs with so much kindness, humor, and grit. I know this sounds like a sad book (and it will definitely cause you to tear up at times), but it is also laugh-out-loud funny. You’ll see what I mean in the excerpts they’ve graciously agreed to share with you all here.
Anyone who loves athletic pursuits will be riveted by all the crazy ultra races Travis and Mace endure throughout their long careers as elite athletes. Though Mace was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018, they didn’t want their tradition of breaking records to end. Instead, in 2020, the father/son team decided to enter what has been dubbed The World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, a grueling seven-day, 400-mile marathon of trekking, climbing, biking, and paddling through the jungle. In Travis’ words:
My anxiety about World’s Toughest Race remained high as spring became summer and the September race grew near. Yes, I was excited, but also uncertain about the wisdom of combining Alzheimer’s with one of the toughest races in the world—especially since Dad’s prospective teammates were all in their 60’s as well.
What’s it like to be told you have Alzheimer’s at age 64? Well, if you are Mace, an ultra athlete legend and hardworking lawyer looking forward to retirement, it pisses you off. (In his words: This is bullshit.) And if you’re his son Travis, also a legend, training takes on a new meaning: to prevent what could be another devastating diagnosis. (Travis has finished over 120 ultra endurance events in seventeen countries.) They wrote A Mile At a Time together (with author Patrick Regan) to tell their story to support all those impacted by Alzheimer’s: spouses, children, caregivers, friends, and the diagnosee.
This story about Mace is open access. Please share!
Mace began writing a journal the day he was told he has Alzheimer’s. (His fine motor skills had already deteriorated by then, so he is actually dictating these entries to his wife Pam.) Each chapter of the book opens with Mace’s words. If he were here, he would probably apologize for his language. (He says he’s trying to do better, especially in front of the kids.)
Mark Macy's Journal, Oct. 12, 2018
My name is Mark Macy, I am 56 years old and today I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
My doctor, a neurologist, told me to get my affairs in order, since ALZ is invariably fatal. He advised me to not spend time worrying about this diagnosis, to instead take vacations, maybe go on a cruise with my wife, Pammy.
I told him: THIS IS BULLSHIT.
My wife just told me I am 64, not 56. Maybe it’s not complete bullshit.
But I finished day one of my Alzheimer’s diagnosis with a significant decision: I didn’t cause this disease, I’m not embarrassed to be one of the millions of people suffering from it, I’m not going to hide from it, and I’m going to share our story with anyone who wants to listen. Pammy, my son Travis, my daughters Katelyn and Dona, and I have dedicated ourselves to fighting this horrible disease that kills people all over the world.
I’m going to share our story with anyone who wants to listen and to share in our excitement when I beat this thing.
Meanwhile, Travis’ world was turned upside down as he came to grips with losing his friend, hero, mentor, training partner, and dad to Alzheimer’s. He wrote this in 2018:
Alzheimer’s. No prevention, no treatment, no cure. That was the conventional wisdom. But Dad, as you will learn in this book, is not a conventional person. He decided—and we decided as a family—to fight this with everything we had. He decided to live fully instead of throwing in the towel.
And this, recounting the part of the Fiji race when, deep in the jungle, Mace became disoriented, lashing out in anger:
What the hell, Trav?! Did you even pay the entry fee for this damn race? Why’d you try to steal that guy’s bike back there? And why the fuck are you and Nellie charging these teams to sleep in this hotel?
The brain is a funny thing. I can feel totally overwhelmed by parenting or work or even just organizing my garage. But now, in the middle of the night out in the jungle during what could be shaping up to be a real medical emergency, one part of my mind raced while another stayed calm and focused. Get Dad to sleep and reevaluate in the morning.
I made Dad as comfortable as possible with a PFD under his head and a space blanket over his body. Uncertain speech gradually became snoring. Lying next to Dad with tears in my eyes and my head on my own PFD and my hand on top of his (out of love, and to make sure he didn’t leave while I slept), I finally fell asleep with absolutely no idea what would happen in the morning.
A mile at a time, Trav…a mile at at time.
The Epilogue of the book includes Mace’s advice on how to treat the loved one in your life battling Alzheimer’s. In one of the most touching passages, he writes directly to those living with Alzheimer’s. Some tips, like always carry a cell phone or tracking device, are purely practical. Others get to the gut of trying to “keep being you” as the disease takes its toll.
I was angry. Very angry. As I’ve expressed in my journal, I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I lashed out in frustration as my abilities became more limited; when I couldn’t figure out how to put on a shirt, when I could no longer drive, when I couldn’t remember how to use a TV remote or open a can.
I have since learned that anger is a waste of time. Instead, I’m trying to focus on doing everything I can to fight back against this disease, to help other people and make an impact, to take care of myself, to maintain my cognitive and physical abilities as best as I can, for as long as I can. This book project is part of that effort.
An overriding theme of the book is the Macy family's inability to give in to adversity, whether it’s an incredibly difficult time in life or a race that’s going down the tubes. After our book signing event at the Boulder Bookstore a few nights ago, I asked Mace how he felt it went. “I think I forgot to tell them the most important thing—Don’t Quit! Did I say that?”
I assured Mace: anyone who reads the book will get it. Anyone who meets him, hears him speak, and learns of his story will know that this is what makes him tick. A look of relief spread over his face. “I really just want to help others get through this.”
Life is a team sport, and you get to pick your team.
It never always gets worse.
As fast as we can, as slow as we must.
You’re better than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can.
Don’t define me by my Alzheimer’s. Since my diagnosis three years ago, I have been trying to continue my life as it has always been. In my case, since I’ve been involved in endurance sports for almost forty years, it’s vital for me to keep running, hiking, and bicycling. Maybe not as fast or as far, but trying to get outside most days—even if it’s just for a run through the trails behind my house in Evergreen, Colorado—is absolutely critical for my mental and physical well-being.
For other people, of course, it might be something different: music, art, a hobby. Whatever it is they love to do, it’s important that they be encouraged and allowed to keep doing that, to the best of their ability. Continuing to enjoy that passion will keep your loved one anchored to his or her identity, and thus will keep them in your life as the person you know and love just a little bit longer. Stay engaged.
Pick up a copy of A Mile At a Time online or at your favorite bookstore. Be sure to follow the Macy family’s journey on Travis’ podcast here. You can listen to Travis, Mace, and me talking with Dan Jaworsky and Elizabeth Humphreys on episode 14.
I am also excited to share my conversation with Travis Macy on the Brain Health Kitchen Podcast that just went live this week.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Does Mace’s story challenge how you think about people living with Alzheimer’s? What inspires you about the life of Mace Macy? Do you know someone like him battling the disease?
Thank you for reading, sharing, listening to the podcast, and for taking the best care of your brains. Please share this post so others will be inspired by the late, great Mace. And if you are so moved, join me in honoring his legacy with a donation to the Mind What Matters Caregiver Relief Fund.
Love,
Annie
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