I'm so excited to be running the 2024 Chicago Marathon with Team Resilience for Erika's Lighthouse. 

Erika's Lighthouse is determined to make sure no young person feels alone in their depression. Erika was a bright light who, sadly, lost her battle with depression in 2004 at age 14. Erika’s Lighthouse was founded in her honor and is dedicated to helping other young people learn about depression and mental health and overcome the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Since 2004, Erika's Lighthouse has reached nearly 2.5 million teens. The organization is dedicated to creating a community of empathy and education. Erika's Lighthouse creates middle school and high school teen depression awareness programs so educators and teens can create safe spaces to learn about depression, letting students know they are never alone, and there is somewhere to turn. 

Since I can remember I have had depression and there has not been a single day that I haven't dealt with it in some capacity. As I have gotten older I have turned to therapy, medications and most crucial to me, exercise, specifically running. When I'm running I feel the most myself. Doing something physically and mentally challenging like running gives me the strength to continue to combat my own depression and conquer each day. Running has immensely improved my quality of life and has truly become my therapy. There are so many parallels between life and running, I'm incredibly grateful to be able to experience them both. 
 

I hope that sharing my story and raising awareness around depression helps at least one person. I may not have all the answers but I know what it's like to live with depression and I encourage anyone that is feeling depressed or alone to get help and talk to someone. 
 

Please help support this cause, no donation is too small.