A San Antonio HEB cashier who took home first place in Sunday's Rock 'N' Roll Marathon has become an inspiration and instant celebrity to his co-workers.
Jose Munoz finished the race in just under two hours and 28 minutes, despite suffering a knee injury just three weeks ago during the Chicago Marathon.
His training partner and co-worker, Claude Ross, said the 27-year-old's ability to overcome adversity led to his first-place finish.
"I talked to him two days before and I said, ‘Hey, you can do it.'" said Ross. "He was like, ‘You know what, you're right. I'm going to win it.'"
Employees at HEB said they marvel at Munoz' ability to come to work immediately following his intense training sessions.
"He would do about four hours training in the morning and then come straight to work after training. (He's a) tough kid," said Evan Padron. "I go to school and work and (with) just that right there, I'm drained. To imagine running 25 miles on top of that (is) pretty insane."
The victory has inspired the entire HEB staff, and Padron said they'll continue to support Jose as he goes for his ultimate goal: the 2016 Olympic Games.
"Obstacles in his way, he conquers them, and eventually gets to his goal," he said. "My hats off to him."