Running With Purpose

This past year I have been really blessed. Blessed to lose weight and get into shape, and blessed to train and complete my first half marathon. I have come to love running and for me it is simply a joy. I would like to take that joy and utilize it to help raise money to find a cure for cancer. I found team DetermiNation in Hyannis at the half marathon and was inspired. They work so hard at events helping raise awareness and money for the cancer society. I knew it was a team I needed to become a part of

I first learned what cancer was when I was 16. My grandmother went in to the doctor for a routine check up and a few weeks later was being told she had colon cancer and she did not even live to receive any chemotherapy treatments. Within 3 weeks the cancer had taken her life. It was hard on my mother and she never was the same after that.

I met with cancer again when my grandma got lung cancer about 7 years ago. She did not want to tell us, she wanted to fight it on her own. I was always close to her growing up, she was my rock. She got me through some pretty tough times post high school. When my mother abandoned us it was grandma who took me under her wing and kept me on the right path. Her gentle ways and loving touch really are with me all the time. I lived with her for a few years and took her to many chemo treatments. She was lucky the cancer was not very aggressive and she was fighting it off. Unfortunately she died in her sleep one morning at 63 years old and that day a piece of me died with her.This year marks 4 years of her being gone.

Yes that is me and my beloved grandma

When I was running my race last weekend, there came a point where I did not think I would finish, I believe it was around mile 7 and I was cold and wet and just really feeling like giving up. I closed my eyes for a minute and pictured her, I imagined her standing there along the sidelines like so many other parents and grandparents there that day. I knew she would be holding a big sign for me, I knew she would be proud. And I patted my shoulder, where her angel tattoo sits and I knew she was with me running. I knew I would finish and make her proud. I wished she could be there at the finish and hug me like she always had. I wish she had seen my journey and how far I had gotten.

She taught me so much, but most of all that you can never give up. You can never give in and you should always be your best. So I want to take all she taught me and utilize it to help raise money to fight cancer. I have met cancer so many times in family and friends, I have lost some wonderful people to it and seen how it can tear people apart. Everyone knows someone affected by cancer. So I ask you to take a minute and help me reach my goal. If everyone gives just a tiny bit we can work together to help make a difference.

I will run Boston's Run to Remember on May 29th for my grandma and hopefully meet my fund raising goal. So please won't you help me get there?

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/thefitbee