7/13/2026 UPDATE: Whoa, I'm Halfway There (2/3 really)
On January 16, 2026, I joined Team Resilience via Erika’s Lighthouse, with the goal of raising $5,000 for mental health services for students by running the 2026 Chicago Marathon. In addition to the marathon, I also signed up for the BOA Chicago Distance Series, which includes the Shamrock Shuffle, The Chicago Half Marathon, and then the Chicago Marathon in finality.
I write today with an update on my personal progress, and towards my fundraising goals.
First, my personal progress. In the paraphrased words of Yogi Berra, marathon training is 90% mental and the other half is physical.
I enjoy running, but to do this safely I have found that I must be dedicated/committed to the process in a way that I have not been about much else in some time. Yes, running 10 miles is physically challenging, but if you are mentally uncomfortable/not used to it, it is much more challenging.
I completed the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle on 3/22/2026. It was an 8k, and I ran it in 45:53.
I completed the Chicago Half Marathon on 6/7/2026 in 2:23:44.
And subsequently, I have completed two additional 10ks in the interim:
-Evanston’s Race Against Hate on 6/21/2026 in 58:59
-Big10k on 7/11/26 in 56:10
All this to say, I am attacking this challenge and the training head-on (I am not…running from it), and I do not take your financial support for granted!
Which brings me to the second part of this update: progress towards my fundraising goals.
While I am 2/3 done with the BOA Chicago Distance Series, I am 34% towards my fundraising goal!
If you have already supported me: thank you, thank you!
I am hopeful that this update will serve as proof-positive of my process, with the goal that you will send my link to just 1 other person in your contact list! $1 or $5, it will all help support Erika’s Lighthouse & Team Resilience: “Empowering students with a lifeline for a lifetime.”
Donation link: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2026teamresilience/account/2228248/donate/
As Sam Hinkie said "Trust The Process" (TTP)
---
Original Post: Why I Run
In high school, when a close-friend first shared that they were diagnosed with depression, I had no idea what that meant nor how to help them. It was incredibly courageous of them to share their diagnosis with me, and I wish that I knew about the resources available to support us both. He is still with us, but I know that I could have done more when he needed us back then.
Then, in the summer of 2016, I experienced my first loss due to suicide. It was sudden, shocking, and horribly sad. That would not be the last time that a friend took their own life. In 2020, someone that I never imagined was struggling, took their own life. It was during their zoom memorial service, that I remember his Mom talking about and reflecting on some of the emotions that he had been experiencing. She shared those difficult memories because of the possibility that it could save someone else. To my disbelief, many of what was said resonated with me; I had no idea how deeply I was struggling. Since then, I have been on my own journey towards knowledge, self-awareness, and improving both my physical & menthal health. I am proud (and lucky, grateful) to say that I see a therapist, I take a SSRI , and I believe that for the first time in many, many years, my head is above water- I no longer feel like I am drowning.
Only days after I joined Team Resilience, another person in my life took their own. It is beyond time that we call this what it is: we are a deeply hurting society, and there is a mental health crisis. This was my call to action: by raising money for Erika’s Lighthouse via running the 2026 Chicago Marathon, I hope to honor the names of the people I have kept anonymous above. Erika’s Lighthouse is a non-profit organization that believes that every student should have the knowledge and tools they need to care for their mental health. We’re proud to provide our high-quality, comprehensive depression education and suicide prevention curriculum to school districts across the country, at zero cost. Every student. Every classroom. Every school.