Continuing Crystal's Fight
I am very excited, and extremely nervous, to be participating in the Lost Lake Run in Seward, Alaska this month!
The Lost Lake Run was started in 1992 as a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. It has become the one of the most popular races in Alaska and is very difficult to get into; it fills up within minutes of the registration opening. This year they also had a lottery that I entered, and I was selected!
I have tried to write this and start this fundraiser for weeks, but I honestly can’t put into words what the Lost Lake Run means to me. I lost my best friend, Crystal (Dionne) Star, to Cystic Fibrosis in 2012. I watched her battle the disease since we met when we were 10 years old, and I was in constant awe of how strong she was.
I started running on my 30th birthday, thanks to some encouragement from my trainer. I don’t consider myself a runner by any means, but since I started running/jogging/walking/near-crawling a few years back, the Lost Lake Run has been on my Bucket List. The 15.75-mile run, held on a service trail in the Chugach National Forest, goes from the Primrose Campground to the Bear Creek Fire Department near Seward. In the first 5 miles, there is a 2,000-foot elevation gain! To say I’m nervous is an understatement. I’m hoping to find some of Crystal’s strength to get through.
