Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.
~ Bernard Williams
I am honored to be joining the 123rd running of the Boston Marathon as a member of the 2019 Boston Marathon Charity Team benefiting 50 Legs. 50 Legs has helped hundreds of amputee children, adults, and service members live a happier and healthier life by providing the necessary care and prosthetics that they could not otherwise afford.
50 Legs is a small charity with a huge mission, and I have personally committed to raise $8,000 to help them give MORE LIFE.
Five years ago, I registered for my first race. Never did I dream that I would one day run a marathon, let alone Boston. To say that running has changed my life would be an understatement, but rather than open the sentimental floodgates, I will keep it at that.
This will be my first Boston Marathon and my third full marathon. In honesty, I did not have Boston on the horizon for this year. Balancing training alongside career and motherhood is challenging. After running a successful Baystate Marathon this past October, I planned to enjoy some down time over the winter. But then, a friend put me in touch with Carmen.
Carmen Acabbo ran her first Boston Marathon in 2013. Her sister, Celeste Corcoran, was waiting for her at the finish and lost both her legs during the bombings. Carmen’s niece was also injured. In the dire months that followed, 50 Legs stepped in to help Celeste recover her mobility and her spirit. Having seen firsthand the life-changing possibilities afforded to patients of 50 Legs, Carmen was motivated to help others receive the same opportunity and is now the director of the 50 Legs Boston Marathon Fundraising campaign.
Carmen encouraged me to learn more about 50 Legs and I was touched by the stories of those who have chosen resilient living in the face of adversity. I learned that one of the 2019 team members, Samantha Eddington, agreed to run Boston (her first marathon) after she made a deal with her daughter. Samantha’s daughter, Katie, is an amputee and 50 Legs recipient. In 2013, Katie survived the unthinkable. She was playing in her yard when she was involved in a riding lawn mower accident, which eventually resulted in the amputation of her right leg. Today, Katie is a thriving third-grader who runs competitively. Katie has a strong following and inspires many. She promised if her mom ran Boston for 50 Legs, that she would train for a 10K.
There are hundreds of worthy charities that run Boston, but 50 Legs is more than a charity. 50 Legs is a family. A family with a tenacity for life and recovery after loss. It is a privilege to advocate for this organization and the families it supports.
