Lani Teshima

If you would've asked me 10 years ago about how I'd be running marathons regularly, I would've told you you were crazy! Over the years, I'd started packing on the pounds, until I was having all sorts of obesity-related health issues, like high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I could barely walk, and forget wearing regular running or walking shoes!

I made a life-changing decision in 2012 to get weight loss surgery. I got a gastric sleeve that made my stomach smaller so that I try to manage my out-of-control eating. And as the weight started coming off, I realized I had to change my entire outlook on life, and embrace an active lifestyle. I started with the elliptical machine at the gym, and slowly began introducing running.

Although I had "woggled" (walked/jogged/wiggled) in marathons every 10 years or so, as the weight came off, I found I could run faster.

My goals then were 10Ks and half-marathons. But I always intended to eventually start running full marathons -- I already had some under my belt, but I wanted to able to run them. Although running Boston was on my bucket list, it felt so far away... then came the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. That's when I knew. It was time to train in earnest.

I time-qualified to run the 2016 race. And since then, I've been back every year (after skipping 2017). And today, my goal is to run 10 consecutive Boston Marathons in a row. 2024 will take me to year 7. I still have three years after 2024 to reach my ultimate goal. It's an ambitious goal, because by nature I'm not a particularly fast runner. I have friends who can qualify based on their finish time, almost unintentionally. I'm not one of those people.

I'm the "everyday runner" and I have to work hard. Won't you join me, one step as a time, as we move onward in our miles?

Join Me on My Journey to Boston 2024!

There are a lot of charity organizations who you can run the Boston Marathon with. This will be my second time representing the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, because it's a cause and mission I really believe in.

Let me tell you about my colleague Carrie.

Carrie is on the Autism spectrum, and began her career path at SAP through its Autism at Work program. She is an outspoken advocate and champion for the neurodiverse population. Not only was she the co-lead for our company's Autism Inclusion Network, but she's also a founder for the Autistic Women's Alliance.

Carrie and I were co-workers for a few years, until she moved to her current position, as an inclusion specialist with our corporate central design team. There, she focuses on bringing Inclusive Design methods into our software products, to make them easier for people of all abilities to use and access.

In the time that Carrie and I worked on the same team, I really learned SO much about autism. I appreciated her straightforwardness and honest opinions, and learned to try to model some of my work habits. It's sometimes intimidating when I don't understand something the engineers are working on, but thanks to Carrie, I know there's nothing embarassing about asking what something means!

It's really because of my work with Carrie that I'm here today, fundraising for Dougie's Team. I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to work so closely with a neurodiverse co-worker. And it's my wish that more companies can see the benefit to hiring a diverse group of people.You can view her LinkedIn profile here.