This was the start to a very long road to recovery. This changed his perspective on everything in life, leading him to retire from his job early to be more present and spend more time doing things that mean the most to him. His biggest goal after surgery was to get back into running. He wanted to run a half marathon again within one year of his surgery. He went on to run the WDW half marathon in January of 2024, I ran the 10k the day prior to show my support of training alongside him, showing up every day to make sure he knew he was never alone. This was the start of my own running career, I fell in love with the dedication to the sport, and the feeling of crossing the finish line knowing that everything I had worked so hard for was waiting for me right in front of me, only a few miles away. Since his surgery, he has continued to race accomplishing four more half marathons and two more full marathons as my dad and I ran together for my first ever marathons! Chicago 2026 will be our first ever World Major Marathon!! And is truly his dream race and his dream marathon. In return for everything he has done for us as a father, and for allowing me to fall in love with the sport myself, I promised him I would help him raise money via charity to get him to his dream finish line. (Including making and selling shirts for my Average Runners Club, celebrating runners of all paces!) We’re on our way!!

When choosing our charity, we wanted to pick something that meant a lot to us, something that we related to. When I found Special Children’s Charities, I knew it was our perfect fit and was so excited to tell my dad about it.

Many years of being a cheerleader and a spectator, I was never alone: I was always surrounded by five siblings– one of which was my older brother, Garrett, who has Down Syndrome 🙂 . Growing up, I knew he had gone to a different school than the rest of us, but as a kid I never really understood why. I wasn’t always sure why he used sign language and couldn’t communicate and talk like we did, I just knew that’s how Garrett worked and that was just him! It never stopped him from mastering video games, solving all of our IT problems, or playing outside with us every day. Eventually at his school, he started playing for his basketball team! I remember going to cheer him on, in the same spirit we would cheer on my dad for his races. The red uniforms, the smile on his face, the mcdonald’s trip after his games, it was all so special for him and our family. He loved playing basketball, at school and outside of school. Every summer we’d play in our front yard with our sky high basketball hoop and he was never afraid to show us just how good he was at the game! It was the one part of school he truly truly enjoyed.

One thing I didn’t realize or understand until I was older was just how much his school had failed him. It wasn’t until I was just out of high school that I talked with my parents about how they felt his school had been for him, but growing up in a small town with limited recourses, didn’t leave them with many options. Communication skills, life skills, job inclusivity: none of it was addressed the way that it should have been or could have been. Seeing what other schools, other communities, and other people can do for people like my brother has really opened my eyes on the importance of inclusivity, for people with physical disabilities, as well as developmental. My brother is perfect in every single way, but I know now that he’s hurting from what the school failed to provide for him and what my community had failed to provide for him. A few years after my brother had graduated, my mom had started working part time at his school as a nurse for children in need there. Eventually she left nursing and went back to school for her teaching degree to change the lives of so many students and children just like my brother. I could not think of a better person to fulfill that job position, knowing she has the biggest heart and is doing for those students what we all wish would have been done for my brother as she continues to go above and beyond for her students every single day.

That all being said, my brother’s basketball team was his highlight throughout his years of school there, a team of so many children and young adults just like him coming together to be a part of something inclusive and promoting well-being for all. Providing special transportation for wheelchair users, snacks and water for the time on the court, and uniforms for every team member! Knowing the joy that this sport brought him, my dad and I could not think of a more perfect charity to raise money for. A charity bringing health and wellness and inclusivity to children and young adults like my brother, something we strive to not take for granted every day. Your charity not only promotes physical and emotional health, but you do it for *all* of those in need, no matter the extra mile needed to be able to include them and make everyone feel important and everyone feel that they are an equal. It is a privilege to be running and a privilege to be running with my dad for such a gracious cause.”