2024 Team Resilience

In April 2023 my wonderful neighbor Alex suggested I run the James Joyce Ramble 10K with her and some friends in Dedham. Having never run in my life, my thoughts Immediately turned to, "I could never do that," "I'm not a runner," I don't have the stamina," "That is unimaginable!" and the negative thinking was, as they say, off and running. I realized that time was of the essence, as there were only 30 days to train. If I was to even think it possible, I had best get started.

I quickly found half a mile became one, one became two, two became three, and so on. As with anything in life, my mind was the driver, and the more I shifted my thinking from what can't be done to what I actually was doing, the further I found myself running. Game day on, and a 1:06 finish.

A year later and 19 races behind me, including seven half marathons, I am training for the Chicago Marathon with my niece and two nephews. We are fundraising for Erika's Lighthouse; a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating and raising awareness about adolescent depression, encouraging good mental health and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Their mission is to make sure no young person feels alone in their depression, and to become the leading provider of teen depression awareness programs and resources in school communities. They believe in the power of positivite thinking, and teach teens to utilize positivity, knowledge, and compassion to become empowered and thriving individuals.

As I turned 60 this April, I am thankful for the love, support. and encouragement from my family and friends, for the life lessons learned along the way, and for the little pearls of wisdom I've gathered in the process. Through their collective power, I have come to realize that lies within us all is the capacity to quell the negative thought patterns that hold us back from living.

Through your donation you will be joining me in providing Erika's Lighthouse with the financial resources to educate teens about their depression and give them a flicker of hope that the unimaginable is, in fact, imaginable.

Carpe Diem!

Russ

Russ Wilson

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Russ Wilson

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