When I was ten, my dad challenged me to run 50 miles in 30 days. I took the challenge, running circles around the block every day. The miles added up, and at the end of the month I had run 51 miles. My prize was a 2010 Chicago Marathon t-shirt and my dad's proud smile. Fifteen years later, I will be running the Chicago Marathon with The Army of Survivors. While this will be my sixth marathon, it will be my first raising money for an organization that supports survivors of abuse in sports and educates coaches on how to protect their athletes. As a close friend of survivors of sexual assault, I know how important it is to have a strong support network like TAOS.

After that initial introduction to running, I joined my middle school, and eventually high school, cross country teams. Running was the first and only sport I enjoyed doing, and it meant a lot to finally be a part of a team. I will be running the Chicago Marathon with one of my oldest friends, Sophie Hiland, hitting the streets of Chicago as a team once again!

To learn more about The Army of Survivors please visit https://thearmyofsurvivors.org/donate/