I’m not a long distance runner. I never thought I would opt to run voluntarily. In fact, in middle school, I used to dread the day we ran the mile because I was always at the tail end, huffing and puffing, red-faced, and completely embarrassed at my inability to keep up.

And now I find myself registered for a half marathon. Me. The girl who couldn’t run a mile to save her life.

What changed? 

Deep down, I am still that angsty middle school kid who is embarrassed to run with the pros. I will always be that awkward runner who will, undoubtedly, have to walk for portions of the 13-mile course to catch my breath and remind myself that I am going to get through it.

However, despite my fear, I’ve committed. And it’s largely because I joined a team of incredible people who, frankly, don’t give a damn that I can’t run. They’re here for something bigger.

Being a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) TNT has been such an incredible experience. With my team, I am raising funds to help find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients.

Your donation will help fund treatments that save lives every day; like immnuotherapies that use a person’s own immune system to kill cancer. You may not know it, but every single donation helps save a life with breakthrough therapies such as these.

Patients need these cures and they need your support.

Please follow this link and make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help get us all closer to a world without blood cancers.

Thank you!