Hi. A lot of people know my history with Boston Children's Hospital, but just in case, let me fill you all in.
I wanna say I was in third grade when I got diagnosed with scoliosis, and for years to come, the general medical consensus was a whole lot of "wait and see." Looking back, it seemed like there was a general belief that it would get worse, and that it was only a matter of when.
I was in eighth grade when the decision was finally made to do a T1-T9 spinal fusion in order to prevent any further progression. For a middle schooler who was looking forward to the last summer before high school, a June operation date felt like the end of the world. Instead of a summer of swimming, playing basketball, and enjoying the sunshine with my friends, I'd be cooped up at home rehabilitating.
The surgery day came and went, and I spent a week at Boston Children's before I was discharged for home, and while I was there, the entire team of doctors, nurses, and staff provided me with all the support that I needed during a tumultuous moment. The summer was a bumpy road, but by the time I started high school, I was well on my way to being my old self, and maybe even on the road to becoming a better version of myself.
In high school, I wanted to continue my journey by finally finding a sport to call my own. It took some time, but once I joined the cross country and track teams during my sophomore year, I knew I'd finally done it. I spent three years growing as an athlete, a leader, and a person, achieving personal bests far beyond what I could have imagined and connecting with some of the best people I'll ever have the privilege of knowing. When I arrived at the College of the Holy Cross, my running journey took a bit of a lull, but anytime I hit the roads I was struck with the same pride and thrill that my high school career brought me. During the fall semester of 2020, as I navigated remote learning from my childhood bedroom, I reconnected with the sport by joining my school's newly re-established Club XC/TF program (in addition to my longtime tenure on the Club Ultimate Frisbee team) and have since laid down far and away my most productive miles since high school.
As 2021 rolled around, I felt that I had finally reached a level of maturity as a runner that I could officially begin the process of seeking out marathon #1. I'm ecstatic to have entered into the anticipated In-Person field at the 2021 Hartford Marathon in October, logging my first marathon in my local race. Furthermore, knowing that I wouldn't be here without the support I got during the summer of 2014 at Boston Children's Hospital, I'm honored to be fundraising for Miles for Miracles and Boston Children's in order to help more kids get the positive experience that I had.
Official training starts in June, and I can't wait to be on this journey. Feel free to check out my fundraising page here, and please give what you can. Anything helps support this wonderful hospital and mission.
Thank you to everyone who's supported me so far, and I hope to make you all proud.