Hello everyone! I am running the New York City Marathon this fall for the American Heart Association a cause very close to? my heart.

I started running about three years ago when I moved to New York. In the past, I ran to get in shape but hated it the whole way through. Living in a city with so much to see and a great running community (shoutout DBRC) gave me a much better reason to push a little further each run. What started as a casual way to explore the city slowly turned into much more.

Eventually, I grew to really enjoy running but never had the desire to run a marathon until I saw my roomate run NYC in 2022. One thing led to the next and soon enough I was registering for the Chicago Marathon, which I ran in 2023. Running my first marathon in the city I grew up in was an amazing experience for me and my family. They arguably had more fun than I did proudly cheering for me from four different spots on the course.

Last spring I was out on a run after a long weekend when I felt a sudden pain in my chest. Most of you know the rest of the story. After a series of tests, we discovered that I had a congenital heart defect that had gone undetected. So, a little less than ten months after running my first marathon I was getting ready to go in for corrective open heart surgery.

My symptoms first occurred when I was out for a run. Since I was already in good cardiac shape, my heart was able to recover from my symptoms quickly when I stopped running to catch my breath. Had I not been in good shape and exercising regularly, my condition likely would have gone unnoticed - culminating in a more serious cardiac event later in life. I don?t think it?s an exaggeration to say that running saved my life.

Before I went in for surgery, I knew I wanted to run another marathon as soon as I could. The New York Marathon felt like the perfect bookend to this odd chapter of my life and there?s no other organization I?d be more excited to raise money for than the American Heart Association. AHA is on a mission to be a force for longer, healthier lives. They work to prevent heart disease and stroke, promote healthier lifestyles, improve patient care, and fund lifesaving research.

Please consider donating to my campaign. My case is just one of many that are happening every day. Heart disease is the Number One cause of death in America. AHA is fighting every step of the way. Thank you for supporting American Heart Association. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.