Halfway to Israel for Friendship Circle!

Have you ever had a dream that you let fall by the wayside?  Something you always wanted to do, but you let life get in the way and then…you wondered if it was just too late?

I have always wanted to run a half marathon.

I’m not a great athlete.  I’m the type who was always picked last in gym class and always sat on the bench in sports.  About ten years ago, I began running and suddenly found, once it was something I was choosing to do and learned how to do properly…I loved it.  And I dreamed of completing a half marathon as I ran 5k after 5k.

This is the part in the story where life happens.

I got injured.  I got busier with work as I tried to recover from that injury.  Then, I met and married a wonderful man, became religious and it seemed like my family needed more and more from me.  It seemed selfish to run or to take care of my body.  I put myself at the bottom of my priority list, like many Mom’s do.  And my dream receded further and further into the impossible.

This summer, a year after I had surgery on my spine, I reached my highest weight ever.  I had been stress eating like crazy.  My husband was in cancer treatment, my son has Autism and ADHD and Covid lockdowns were throwing him for a loop.  I reached a point where I was so out of shape I worried about my own health.  Something had to change.

And so, in late May, I began to make the changes I needed to make.  I began working out again and, slowly, running a little again.  That dream came back to me…was it too late?  Was I, at 43 years old, too old?  Was I too out of shape?

I made a decision.  I was going to make my dream happen.  I was going to run a half marathon.  Not only that, I was going to run it for a good cause.  When someone is depending on me, counting on me, I’m far more likely to keep going with a goal.  When I feel like I’m accountable, there’s almost nothing I can’t push through.

Which is where you and Friendship Circle of Wisconsin come in.

I can think of few better causes to support than Friendship Circle.  They provide all kinds of services for children and adults with special needs, like my son, and their families, like my family.  They help challenge those ideas of what is possible for people with special needs and help spread friendship for those who may have a harder time reaching out and making friends.  The programs they run help are close to my heart and I feel like they fit with what I’m trying to do.  Looking at me, you might not see a person who could train for and run a half marathon, just like many people need help seeing past another person’s special needs to see the immense potential they have.

So, I’m asking you to follow my journey as I train and to keep me accountable.  If you can, I’m asking you to pledge a donation to Friendship Circle in honor of my run.

I’m pledging to run the miles.  Besides training runs, I’m pledging to run 1 5k (either in person or virtual, depending on Covid) in 2021 and then run the Dead Sea Veridis Half Marathon in February 2022.  It’s the lowest race on earth in a very unique place in the world.  I’m asking you to pledge to be with me virtually on those cold dark mornings and the hot, hot summer days by following my journey and, again if you can, pledging your support for those miles to Friendship Circle.