In 2023, I took on a challenge I never thought possible—running a full marathon. As someone who wasn’t an athlete growing up and didn’t even start running until my 40s, even the idea of a 5K once felt completely out of reach. But over the course of thousands of training miles, I found something unexpected: a deep sense of peace and purpose. That journey led me to the Run Disney Dopey Challenge in 2024—48.6 miles over four days—and I did it in support of the Dragon Master Initiative. With the incredible support of friends and family, I not only met my fundraising goal—I surpassed it.
Since then, I’ve kept going. I completed the Dopey Challenge again in 2025—despite running on a torn meniscus. It was the most physically demanding race weekend I’ve experienced, but with grit, determination, and a lot of heart, I crossed every finish line. That experience showed me how strong I really am, and now I’m coming back stronger and more determined than ever for 2026. This will mark my fourth consecutive Dopey Challenge and my third year fundraising for the Dragon Master Initiative.
The Dragon Master Initiative is doing groundbreaking work in the fight against childhood brain cancer. Unlike many organizations that focus on a single subset of research, Dragon Master is centered around collaboration and data sharing to accelerate progress. They’ve developed and continue to grow the CAVATICA platform, a free, open-access tool that allows researchers and clinicians to share, search, and analyze critical patient data. In partnership with the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), they’re creating a powerful ecosystem of shared knowledge with the goal of finding a cure faster.
They also promote a culture of open science by funding the annual Research Symbiont Award, which honors researchers who prioritize collaboration and data sharing—an approach that is truly changing the game for childhood cancer research.
Training for the Dopey Challenge is never easy—especially with 48.6 miles over four days—but knowing that each mile supports this incredible cause makes every step meaningful. If you’re able, I would be deeply grateful for your donation to the Dragon Master Initiative. And if donating isn’t an option right now, sharing this message is a wonderful way to support not just me, but the children and families who are counting on breakthroughs that this research makes possible.
