January 21, 2026
Leesburg Native Jonathan Holiday Goes From 8% Chance of Survival to Running 100-Mile Ultramarathon
By Kyle Coppola
Leesburg Native Jonathan Holiday Goes From 8% Chance of Survival to Running 100-Mile Ultramarathon
Nearly 30 years after a life-altering bicycle accident left him with an 8% chance of survival, Jonathan Holiday completed his first 100-mile ultramarathon, finishing eighth in the Long Haul 100 in 19 hours and 5 minutes an improvement on last years race where Jonathan finished in 23 hours and 11 minutes.
The Leesburg native, now 44 and living in Atlanta, crossed the finish line at Colt Creek State Park in Dade City, Florida, on Sunday, January 17. For Jonathan he’s turned his incredible recovery into an act of endurance and philanthropy hoping to inspire others by his story.
Jonathan was just 13 years old when a severe crash in The Ocala National Forest on August 19, 1995, left him critically injured. Rushed to Shands Hospital after being found motionless by friends, he underwent emergency brain surgery. Paramedics restarted his heart three times during resuscitation, and doctors warned of slim odds due to oxygen deprivation to his brain.
He spent six months recovering, battling cognitive challenges, but went on to graduate from Leesburg High School in 2000. The ordeal reshaped his outlook.
“That incident in 1995 changed my entire perspective on life,” Jonathan says. “I vowed to live with intention and make a difference wherever I could. I found Jesus and learned to live a life full of helping others.”
Jonathan has since built a full life as a husband, father of three and executive consultant at Roofing Done Right in Georgia, after years with Covenant Roofing in Lake County. He has completed triathlons, marathons, Ironman events and a 50-mile race in Tennessee two years ago that raised over $7,000 for an orphanage in Kenya.
Competing under his #RunOnPurpose mantra, Jonathan has used the Long Haul 100 to raise tens of thousands of dollars with matching funds pledged by his brother Robert, who owns an HVAC business for Connect With A Child, an organization supporting an orphanage in Siaya, Kenya. He met the group’s executive director, Tom Abungo, several years ago and has since focused on fundraising through his runs.
“The Long Haul 100 isn’t just about testing my physical limits, it’s about giving these kids opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have,” Jonathan says. “It’s a way of turning the gift God gave me into progress and my survival into a second chance for others.”
Holiday began running about 21 years ago, starting from a point where he couldn’t complete a single mile at a local YMCA. A 5K at SeaWorld sparked his passion for longer distances. He has tackled events like the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and the 50 Croom Fools Ultra Marathon.
Returning to Central Florida for this race always feels like closing a circle to Jonathan.
“This is where my story started, and it’s incredible to return, not as someone defined by that accident, but as someone who’s grown because of it,” he says.
His family also has roots in Lake County, including the former Pineridge Dairy Farm, now part of The Villages.
Jonathan, calls the achievement a testament to his faith.
“It was hard, it was tough. Stopping was not an option until the finish line,” he says. “Life does not have a determined finish line. But I truly believe for those that repent and receive Jesus Christ, there is an everlasting party in Heaven. Awards and trophies are nice, but there is nothing compared. Like in a race, it does not go perfectly, and I have not lived that either, but each day I desire to say Thank YOU GOD for another day, help me to give you my best.”
Jonathan summed up his journey with this 1 Cor 10:31. “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
