For years it has been my goal to train for and participate in my first marathon after I retired from my full-time position at Northwestern Connecticut Community College. That day arrived on May 31st and I began an 18-week training schedule on June 10th. I'm now in the middle of the 16th week (can’t believe I made it this far !); longer and longer runs continue to push the limits of my endurance. Mental health has been an issue in my family since before I was born. Most directly, my son Jay has been struggling with bipolar disorder for the past eleven years. I want my run in the Hartford Marathon on October 12th to be more than just the attainment of a personal goal. Hopefully, the funds raised by my participation will make a difference in the improvement of mental health services, the promotion of recovery for people with mental health conditions, the education of the community about the importance of mental wellness, and the combat against discrimination resulting from a mental health diagnosis.
If you are so moved, your generous donation will be much appreciated.
Please check out my fundraising campaign on CrowdRise by copying and pasting this URL into your browser
(just clicking on the link doesn’t work):
https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/team-mhc/paulatkinson6