The email that changed my life started with: Congratulations, you have been randomly selected to receive a guaranteed invitational entry for the 2019 Boston Marathon!
I'll be running alongside 200 John Hancock and Manulife colleagues from around the globe who will all be training to run the 26.2-mile (42.195 kms) historic course and raising money to support local and global charitable causes.
On the advice of a much-respected colleague, I decided to put my name in the hat for the 2019 Boston Marathon lottery that John Hancock/Manulife sponsors. This is a bucket list event for me. It's 20 weeks before the big day and I'm prepping myself for a winter full of long, cold runs. I was excited to run my first half marathon in mid-October. Happily, the runner's high is a real thing. It feels great to run and I've noticed a lot of benefits such as improved mood, better concentration, better endurance.. and the list goes on.
I'm running for myself, for my family, and hopefully to inspire someone else to take on a bucket list goal! For me, this is an amazing opportunity - and that feeling is only compounded by the fact that I get to raise money for the Easter Seals Camps. My marathon goal seems small in comparison to the meaningful work of Easter Seals.
Please join me in supporting children with physical disabilities to experience the freedoms and challenges of Easter Seals fully accessible summer camps. The families we support cannot afford to send their children on their own. As an added incentive, for your donation, you will receive a charitable tax receipt.
Some history on Manulife's involvement in the Boston Marathon: John Hancock has been the proud Principal Sponsor of the world's oldest annual road race for 34 years. I will be representing the company, running the 123rd Boston Marathon on April 15, 2019.
