Every time I board a plane to head home to Minnesota for the holidays, I am reminded of the most amazing holiday gift I received from my hockey team in Nashville. My mother was finishing up her treatment for breast cancer and I was bummed to not be heading home for Thanksgiving due to the expense of a plane ticket (I would be heading home for Christmas just a few weeks later). A member of my team informed me that the guys had a gift for me- immediately my mind wandered to all the gag gifts they could have possibly gotten me. When my teammate showed up to my apartment to drop off their present, I saw only an envelope in his hands. I opened it to find enough cash to fly me home for Thanksgiving to see my mom. I was in shock and crying from the thoughtfulness of this gift. To this day I am so grateful for those guys- I will never be able to thank them enough.
I want to expand on their selfless behavior and raise money for the cause I care so deeply about- cancer research. I am often asked why I am choosing to run a marathon to do this. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team includes hundreds of runners raising money for the same cause allowing us to make a large impact. It is also a dream of mine to run the Boston Marathon, so why not support an amazing cause while doing so?
Bill Katovsky says it best, "The finish line is the same for all runners. How we get there and what we do along the way are what matters most. The journey defines us."
I never dreamed of running any distance beyond up and down a soccer field until a friend from my recreational hockey league turned to me in the locker room and said, "If I can train for my first marathon at my age, then you certainly can too!" She had just signed up to run a full marathon in Duluth, which at the time I thought was absurd. However, I don't take to challenges very well due to my competitive nature and within a week was officially registered for my first marathon. The challenge of training and spending my weekends on long runs with my dear friend were life changing. I developed a bond with my training partner that remains priceless- she gave me wonderful life advice and inspired me to chase my dreams no matter what. The journey that I experienced in the months prior to crossing the finish line was the best part, the race itself was a celebration of accomplishment. I can't wait to see what this journey to April 15 has in store for me and I hope to make a significant positive impact on the life of others. Stay tuned to this blog for updates on fundraising, the grueling training process and most importantly inspirational stories from those who have been affected by cancer that I am running in honor of.
I now have my official fundraising page up and running! You can access it by clicking the donate here link under the picture above.
Thank you to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful cause. Also, a big thank you to those of you who have supported me through the years and have gotten me to where I am today- I love you all!
-S
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