City: Geneva, IL

Profession: Research Analyst

Fundraising Goal: $5000

Race Goal (time/just finish!): 4:30

What is your connection to U2FP? My cousin Jake suffered from a spinal cord injury. He is active with the group and reached out and asked if I would be interested in running the marathon and fundraising for U2FP

Is this your first marathon/race? If not, what others have you completed? This is my second marathon. I ran the Fox Valley Marathon in September, 2017.

What do you crave after a long run? After a long run I usually eat a large cheese pizza! It is my favorite food and the best use of my “free calories” burned during the run.

Do you listen to anything when you train or race? If yes, what? I usually listen to mashups of various artists on Spotify. I tend to get bored listening to full songs and like the fast beat that mashups tend to use. The combination keeps me fired up for most of the run.

What are you most excited and/or nervous about for the marathon? I am most excited to be running alongside thousands of others on race day. The energy and excitement at the starting line is very contagious and motivating. I am nervous that all the excitement could cause me to run too fast at the beginning; I need to remind myself that it’s a marathon not a sprint!

An interesting fact about yourself or anything else you’d like to share: I have traveled to 10 US national parks and plan to visit the rest over time!

Unite 2 Fight Paralysis is proud to once again be a charity partner for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2022! Help support U2FP’s initiatives to accelerate curative treatments for those living with Spinal Cord Injuries. Team U2FP members have raised nearly $200,000 in the past few years. Thank you for your support to advance research towards a cure for spinal cord injury!