Family and Friends,
I'm running the Boston Marathon April 16, 2018 to raise money for the Center for Kidney Disease Research at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Why?
I'm an athlete because of my dad. From him, I learned that personal fulfillment starts in the body – he was the kind of 65-year-old you'd catch doing push-ups on the beach.
But, last July, his kidneys failed. Now he's on biweekly dialysis, he's sixty pounds lighter, and a series of infections have left him extremely weak. My mom and siblings in California are doing a lot: two of my sisters work part-time from home to make sure he gets the care he needs. I'm 3,000 miles away, and it's harder to know what I can do.
One thing about my dad that hasn't changed in the past year is that he loves to talk about my workouts. He'll call me from his bed to ask how many miles I ran, and how fast. Or to ask how much weight I lifted.
For some recently-retired college athletes, finding an athletic niche can be a tough transition. But for me, it's obvious: I keep training so that I can tell my dad about it.
I'm running for Team BIDMC because I want there to be more options and answers for people like my dad. And there are more than you might think: nearly 6 out of 10 people will develop kidney disease in their lifetime.
And, I want to show him in a big way that the training that I put in every day is for him.
Thank you for your support – any donation helps!
