July 13, 1980

On May 8, 1980, Ron Mossler left Los Angeles and began skating across the country in a fundraising effort against muscular dystrophy. Here he is pictured on July 13th, during his trip in Raleigh off North Boulevard (now known as Capital Boulevard). 

“A lot of people call me crazy for doing this but the people who know me back home think it’s about par for me,” said the 21 year-old UCLA student. “When I think about all those people who have MD, it makes me want to skate harder and go get more pledges.”

Ron says he was a sports enthusiast before he began roller skating and claims to be the first UCLA student to skate to classes. Mossler’s goal is to raise over $100k in pledges and donations, while also breaking the world record for distance skating at the end of his round trip by nearly 2,000 miles. His diet for the marathon consists of “60% carbohydrates and as much beer as possible.”

Photograph by Harry Lynch. 

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NO_21092.001 & NO_21092.002, From the N&O Negative Collection, State Archives of North Carolina. Photo copyrighted by the News and Observer. Illegal to use without express permission from the N&O.