Your Support

This year, I will be running the Chicago Marathon in support of the Special Children’s Charities organization.  I chose to run for them because it connects to other very special and impactful experiences I’ve had volunteering with the Special Olympics here in LA.  Through that work, I’ve been able to help support their efforts to produce meaningful experiences for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  I found volunteering with them to be incredibly rewarding and truly life-changing.  The sense of accomplishment those athletes feel, and seeing the support and positivity from all those involved in the community is always emotionally uplifting.

Your donation here will help support this wonderful organization provide rewarding and impactful opportunities for some of our most deserving community members right there in Chicago.  ANY support you can provide is immensely appreciated. All money donated here goes directly to Special Children's Charities. 

My Running Journey

I ran my first ever race in October 2023.  My biggest motivtion for registering was the beer garden at the end of the race, and just to try something new.  I had run on and off most of my adult life, but mostly "off" prior to then.  I always hated running.  BUT, the real-time results you get and seeing how I fared against the rest of the participants stoked a competitive drive in me.  I loved the experience and immediately wanted to do another one.  Pretty quickly, I signed up to run a half marathon a year later (November 2024) in Joshua Tree.  I figured setting this goal - one that I never imagined myself doing - would be great motivation to keep running.

I signed up for many smaller races along the way, building up from 5ks to 10ks and even 10 milers.  From the beginning, I had no intention of ever running a full marathon.  It felt unattainable, and wasn’t something I felt I needed to accomplish to feel good about my running efforts. 

Then, just before I ran the Joshua Tree HM, I spent some time in Chicago.  I had a great experience there and really loved the city.  I even got to have a couple incredible runs there.  I learned about the marathon and looked at the course map and was thrilled to see the course ran through areas I had visited.  That was it.  I knew the Chicago Marathon was the one I had to run, if I only ever did one.  

So here I am, signed up to run the Chicago Marathon less than 2 years from my first ever registered race. 

Thank you!  You can follow my training journey on the Strava app:  https://strava.app.link/diqtcCXhLPb

More About Special Children’s Charities:

Since 1969, Special Children’s Charities has been the driving force behind inclusion and empowerment for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout Chicago. 

Special Children’s Charities aims to transcend boundaries and redefine possibilities by serving as a symbol of empowerment and inclusivity within both the disability community and the City of Chicago.

The spirit of accomplishment, inclusion, and joy that are part of the marathon experience are what we strive to provide for thousands of our participants in all 77 Chicago neighborhoods. With your help, we are creating a more inclusive Chicago–one mile at a time.

If you wish to make a donation via check, please send to the address below and they will credit the donation to my fundraising page. Please make sure to include my name (or the person you would like to support) in the memo section.

Please make all checks payable to Special Children's Charities.

Mail to: 
Special Children's Charities 
2 E. 8th St., Suite 2M
Chicago, IL 60605

Again, thank you for supporting the thousands of participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Chicago!