Two years ago, I was afraid of my own heartbeat - now I am running for the American Heart Association in the NEW YORK CITY MARATHON!!

I’m raising funds to support lifesaving heart research, education, and programs that help people facing heart disease and stroke. If you are able, I would be incredibly grateful for your support as I take on 26.2 miles in New York City.

In July of 2023, I went to the doctor because something felt very wrong with my body.

I had gained more than 60 pounds in six months and went from running and working out almost every day to sleeping constantly. I was tired all. the. time. During an appointment with my doctor, she noticed an irregular heartbeat, but at the time it was labeled “benign.”

A month later I went back for follow-up bloodwork. The irregular heartbeat was still there and I was still incredibly tired, so I was referred to a cardiologist.

That appointment changed everything.

After wearing a heart monitor and completing additional tests, I learned I had a very high burden of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). PVCs are extra heartbeats that start in the lower chambers of the heart. Most people have them occasionally. That flutter or thump you sometimes feel in your chest is likely a PVC.

They are considered normal if they make up about 2% or less of your heartbeats. Over 10% can become dangerous because it can lead to cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

My burden was 27%.

I was referred to an electrophysiologist who specializes in the electrical system of the heart. We tried medication first. I think we tried five different ones before I couldn’t take it anymore. The medications didn’t help at all and usually made me feel worse. The next step was a cardiac ablation, a procedure where doctors map the electrical misfire in your heart and burn the tissue causing it.

In January of 2024, I had my first ablation. I was not prepared for the fact that I would be woken up during the procedure so the doctors could map the abnormal rhythm. I felt everything, saw everything, and heard everything. It was incredibly traumatic.

The surgery was initially deemed “successful,” but my heart was stubborn. They had been close to the problem, just not close enough. The abnormal rhythm found another pathway and the PVCs returned almost immediately in the recovery room.

Two weeks later I went back for a second ablation. That procedure failed almost right away as well and landed me in the emergency room in severe pain.

At that point I sent all of my records to the Mayo Clinic, where I was quickly accepted as a patient. We traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, where I met an incredible doctor who told me he could fix the problem by doing a more aggressive ablation using both heat and freezing techniques. He even promised me he wouldn’t wake me up.

In May of 2024, I had my third ablation at Mayo. The surgery went well and I was able to stay asleep the entire time. But on the drive home to Virginia, I felt the PVCs return AGAIN.

Those next few months were some of the hardest of my life. I tried to keep living normally, but the symptoms and anxiety were overwhelming. I ended up in the ER multiple times, I left my job in the Pentagon, and I was in a terrible mental space.

When I talked to my doctor at the Mayo Clinic, he told me he believed he had been extremely close to fixing the problem and that I now qualified for a new technique that had only been approved in the UK due to my three failed procedures.

After a lot of fear and hesitation, I agreed to try one more time.

Just a few days later, a surgical spot opened up on his schedule and I was back in Florida preparing for my fourth ablation. During the procedure I briefly woke up again and was terrified, but my doctor reassured me he had enough information to finish the surgery and immediately had me put back to sleep.

The recovery was extremely difficult. Shortly after surgery my heart went into ventricular tachycardia with a heart rate over 200 beats per minute, which landed me in the hospital for a few extra days.

Everything finally began to change after my fourth surgery.

Slowly, and much to my pleasant surprise, everything started calming down and returning to normal.

Over time I was able to start adding parts of my life back again — running, coffee, time with friends, and the routines I had taken for granted.

Today I am healthy, running again, and incredibly grateful for every long run, every interval training, every hilly workout, every single mile — all of it is a blessing.

Running the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon for the American Heart Association is my way of turning one of the hardest experiences of my life into something meaningful. Supporting heart research, education, and awareness now means more to me than I could have ever imagined.

Two years ago I was afraid of my own heartbeat.

Today, I run with gratitude for every single one.

If you are able to support my journey, your donation will go directly toward advancing research and helping people who are facing heart disease and stroke.

Thank you for cheering me on, supporting this mission, and being part of this journey with me. Your encouragement, support, and donations help turn every mile I run in New York City into something bigger than myself.