City: Bloomington, MN

Fundraising Goal: $1000

Race: Twin Cities Marathon

Race Goal: Just finish!

In a few sentences, describe your connection to U2FP, why you chose to run in support of U2FP, and whether you have a personal connection to spinal cord injury and paralysis: I work at Fit4Recovery in Hopkins, MN and help train clients with spinal cord injuries and other neurologic conditions that result in paralysis or paresis. I absolutely love the community there and want to support the people I work with any and every way I can. I also believe the best way to start helping others achieve their fitness goals is to lead by example, and running this marathon is one way I can do that.

Is this your first marathon/race? If not, what others have you completed? This is my first marathon; although I ran cross country in high school. A 4k is nothing like 26.2.

What do you crave after a long run? Shower, nap, and snacks in that order.

Do you listen to anything when you train or race? If yes, what? This might be an unpopular opinion but I don’t like to listen to anything when I run. When I resistance train I listen to a lot of Two Friends, Louis the Child, Big Wild and music similar to those to get me in the zone.

What are you most excited and/or nervous about for the marathon? I am most excited to experience the sense of accomplishment after crossing the finish line. I am most nervous about something happening that would stop me from reaching the finish line, but I’ve been working hard at not letting that thought take over my mind.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I’m in physical therapy school so I spend a fair amount of my free time studying. When I can, I like to squeeze in a hike, go climbing, or check out new breweries around the Twin Cities. I really just love anything that gets me outside or moving.

Anything else you’d like to share? I’m happy to have the opportunity to run with Team U2FP. I had the goal of running a marathon in the back of my mind since high school but I never felt motivated to commit to one until I knew I could run for something bigger than myself.