Moral compass guides former Marine, endurance athlete Tom Jones’ athletic abilities

Endurance sport athlete Tom Jones runs at Tonaquint Park, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — You don’t often get the chance to meet someone as unique as Tom Jones.

No, not the world-famous singer and entertainer in Las Vegas.

“People have joked about my name ever since I was old enough to understand English,” Jones told St. George News Thursday afternoon after completing a run at Tonaquint Park.

This Tom Jones is a philanthropist, a former U.S. Marine, a former world champion prize fighter and a former bodyguard and training partner for actor Chuck Norris.

Jones will be welcomed during the hour-long “Tribute to America” patriotic program, presented by United We Pledge, at 7 p.m. Monday during the 4th of July St. George Celebration at Greater Zion Stadium. The show features music, narration, pageantry and plenty of surprises in celebration of the country’s founding.

Currently, the Huntington Beach, California, resident is a world-class endurance sport athlete. He has run 347 marathons in support of nonprofits and charitable causes.

Why he does it

Jones is a product of the American foster care system.

Endurance sport athlete Tom Jones runs at Tonaquint Park, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

“I was removed from my home when I was 12 years old because of child abuse and was put into a foster care facility,” Jones said. “Not like a foster home, but an institution that was run by pedophiles.”

As a child Jones moved 35 or 36 times and never stayed in one school for more than a short period of time. He was afforded a sixth-grade education level.

“After I was removed from my home and placed into a children’s institution, I was doing things that no children should ever have to do and didn’t focus on school,” Jones said.

Jones ran away from the institutional home at age 17 and joined the  Marine Corps at age 19.

“The Marine Corps was a really good, positive experience for me in a litany of ways,” Jones said. “When I got out of the Marine Corps, I started working for Chuck Norris, the actor. I was a bodyguard, training partner. Chuck was a really good, positive influence on me.”

Next Jones worked as a bodyguard for a client he said “owns the largest computer vending company in the world.”

Jones traveled the world as a bodyguard with this executive.

“He brought in motivational speakers to talk to his sales team and try to motivate them to be the best version of themselves that they could be, and I would guess, sell more computer chips,” Jones said. “I really was impacted by that.”

Jones, a martial artist for his entire life, became a prize fighter and achieved quite a bit of success, winning seven major titles including a world title.

“I was prize fighting at the time I was bodyguarding and working for this gentleman. In 1998 there was a children’s facility that needed a playground,” Jones said. “They were trying to raise money for it. I came up with the idea of running on foot from Oregon to Mexico and helping to raise money for this playground.”

Jones had received his calling.

“When we raised the money and dedicated that playground and opened it up, I had sort of a seminal moment at that time,” he said. “At that moment I felt like my life had purpose and direction. It was probably the first time in my life that I felt really good about myself.”

Along with the satisfaction from helping others, Jones learned a vital lesson.

“Fighting was always a means to a way, it wasn’t something I felt good about inside, if that makes sense,” Jones said. “It wasn’t anything I felt great about, beating up other human beings. I just never felt alive, or purposeful inside until we dedicated that playground.”

Since that moment in 1998, Jones said he has guided his athletic ability according to his moral compass.

“I did it again and again and again and again. I’ve worked with and shared my story with foster homes all over the country,” Jones said.

In an effort to raise awareness about plastic pollution, Jones paddle boarded from Oregon to Mexico in 2007, setting a world record. 

His paddle board journey from Key West, Florida, to New York in 2010 also broke a world record.

Liberty Village

Jones is in St. George on the heels of completing a cross-country series of 76 marathons to raise awareness about patriotism and American history.

Endurance sport athlete Tom Jones runs at Tonaquint Park, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

“I’ve tried to bring attention to and raise money for Liberty Village, in partnership with Balance of Nature and United We Pledge,” Jones said.

He began the marathons in Montevallo, Alabama, on April 19, the anniversary of the “shot heard ’round the world” that began the American Revolution.

Montevallo is home to America Village, which hosts re-enactments from colonial and revolutionary times featuring prominent historical figures like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abigail Adams.

Liberty Village in Hurricane will be a similar facility that will teach American history from its original perspective to children and families.

Jones will finish his last run in the V2V series (village to village) Saturday morning in Hurricane at the future home of Liberty Village on the Balance of Nature world campus.

Jones was inspired to run V2V after going on a tour of the American Village in Montevallo with a couple of fifth-grade classes.

“Watching their lives literally change before my eyes because of this powerful experience, I was like, this is an amazing project and I want to do everything I can to be as involved with it as I possibly can,” Jones said.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Liberty Village starts Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Jones is scheduled to arrive and speak sometime shortly after that.

Balance of Nature founder Lex Howard and United We Pledge President Dennis Leavitt are also scheduled to speak. The ceremony will be at the old Bench Lake area in Hurricane along S 2100 W.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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