This November I’ll be running the New York City Marathon with Team Heart & Stroke in support of the American Heart Association.
In May, I lost my mom to stage 4 congestive heart failure while she was in the process of pursuing a heart transplant. She fought this disease for many years with incredible strength, and watching her battle heart failure changed my life in ways I’m still learning to understand.
When my mom was healthy, she loved to run. During our toughest times growing up, she always used to tell me to, “Go pound the pain into the pavement.” Over the past year, running has been a means of processing my grief and staying connected to her. In the endurance of the sport, I've found purpose in the pain. Running has allowed me to explore the cities I visit in a new way, discover a powerful community within the sport, and push myself to achieve things I never would have imagined pursuing before. Running the New York City Marathon in her honor will be a profound milestone in my grief journey, a way to carry her memory forward and turn something painful into something purposeful.
I’m proud to be running with the American Heart Association, an organization dedicated to funding lifesaving cardiovascular research, improving patient care, advocating for healthier communities, and supporting families impacted by heart disease and stroke. The funds raised through Team Heart & Stroke help advance research, prevention, education, and treatment so that more people have the chance to live longer, healthier lives.
If you feel moved to support, I would be so grateful for a donation to help me reach my fundraising goal for the AHA. Every contribution goes toward advancing research, education, and care for people living with heart disease.
On marathon day, every mile will be for her, and I’ll be doing exactly what she always told me to do: pounding the pain into the pavement.
