I run, coach, and fundraise in memory of my dad, Roy.
My dad was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2010. After rounds of chemo, we were told he was in remission, and I thought that was it . . . my dad had beaten cancer! After 18 months of remission, I found out the hard way that that’s not how it always works. CLL was back, and I felt so uninformed and helpless, so I gave Blood Cancer United a call.
I asked to have a fundraising page set up for me for the NJ Half Marathon so that I could run in my dad’s honor. I proudly wore my first Team In Training (TNT) singlet, which led to so many coaches on the course cheering me (and every other runner) on and providing so much encouragement. It brought more meaning to the race to be able to bring awareness to blood cancer and blood cancer research, and celebrate my dad.
I decided to get more involved after my dad passed away in 2013 and officially joined the NYC chapter to take on the 2014 NYC Marathon in his memory. From there, I just kept getting more involved. I became a team mentor, pace leader, and coach. I’ve been able to support our team participants on the race course multiple times at the NYC Marathon, the NYC Half Marathon, the Chicago Marathon, and the WDW Marathon weekend. My goal is to help provide all of our participants with a fun and memorable race experience!
To date, I’ve participated in over 20 Team In Training events and have raised over $250,000, but I’m not stopping there. I hope you’ll join me in the fight against blood cancer!
Deb
Family member, volunteer, supporter/donor
