I am beyond excited (and also terrified) to announce that I will be running the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon with the Miles for Miracles Team for Boston Children’s Hospital. In 1992 at Boston Children’s Hospital, I was diagnosed with Stage 4s Neuroblastoma -- a pediatric cancer that had covered 90% of my liver with tumor. The team at the hospital delivered the news and then helped me to get set up for treatment at the neighboring hospital, The Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. I continued care at these hospitals and would end up needing to follow up with the team at Jimmy Fund Clinic for years to come. I am truly lucky to have survived this type of cancer with minimal treatment needed. At the age of 10, I was celebrated to be in remission and have been so blessed to be healthy since.
This diagnosis and the team at Boston Children’s changed the trajectory of my life. I am where I am today because of it and I wouldn’t change a thing. After many stays, appointments and labs at the hospitals in Boston I found strength to push through hard things.
I started running about a year and a half ago when I moved back to DC after a few years living in NYC and a brief stint in the Bay (I’m an east coast girlie). I was inspired to run after watching my now sister-in-law, Sarah, complete the Marine Corps Marathon in 2022. From an outsider perspective, running a marathon seemed like an absolutely insane thing to do, and I in no way wanted to run 26.2 miles (I was thinking more like “let’s see if I can get to 5?”) After running on my own,I completed my first race in 2023, the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. I was so proud of myself -- the feeling of earning something and learning what my body could do was amazing.
Throughout 2023 I continued to run with my District Running Collective community and family. I went to every Wednesday run but the Saturday runs were where I continued to be inspired, the same way I was inspired watching Sarah. People were training all season for fall marathons and I watched as their distance increased each week. Initially, I would choose to run the shorter route (which to me was still a LOT), but week after week, I witnessed some amazing women (you know who you are) train for multiple races and show up each week making double digit runs look EASY. I knew I wanted to continue to push myself but still the idea of me running a marathon was out of the question.
Fast forward to the winter, I signed up for the RnR Half Marathon so I knew I had to put in work and dedicate my time to these longer runs. I ran through the winter gradually building and training. Winter Mafia pushed me to dedicate every Saturday morning to a long run. I swear it rained or snowed every Saturday but we made it work. I remember the first time I ran over the 10 mile mark and it felt like an accomplishment not just because it was my longest run yet but it showed me that I can do more. There wasn’t a limit on what I could build up to. As I continued to run with my friends who were training for marathons, I started to imagine the idea of running one. It was still insane to me. But it wasn’t out of the question.
I entered the lottery for the New York Marathon and knew that I was unlikely to get in (and I kinda liked it that way lol). I knew I could say I tried but wouldn’t have to actually do it. When I inevitably didn’t get in off the lottery I was disappointed. It felt like I was being limited in what I was allowed to challenge myself to do and I LOVE a challenge.
And that is how I came across the Miles for Miracles Team. I shared with them a little bit of my story and my why. I’m so grateful to be accepted to this team and to run for something meaningful. It feels as though this is my purpose -- to run for myself as a cancer survivor and patient of Boston Children's. I am excited to see the way that it will further change the trajectory of my life just like Boston Children’s Hospital did many years ago.
We’re all limitless and I hope that you will find your reason to discover that just like I have.
I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story. It wasn’t easy for me to share but I’m realizing it’s not just about me, it’s about all the people that I can inspire, represent, run in memory of, and bond with along the way. I will be so grateful if you can donate to this cause and share with your communities!!
