Hi Everyone,

This past Sunday I ran my first Half Marathon. As many of you know, I am more of a soccer player and have never really been committed to running longer distances, at least longer than 3 miles. For the a while now, I have been wanting to attempt a half marathon but the task felt extraordinarily daunting. Something came over me in February and I signed myself up. I was relieved to learn that a few weeks later a friend of mine also signed up. The weather we trained in was mostly beautiful spring conditions where the sun was shining, and the temperature was no greater than 75 degrees. On race day however, we were faced with the exact opposite, 39 degrees, raining and 20-30 mph wind gusts with the second half going against us. I mention this to paint how challenging this opportunity was for us.

Many of you know I work for a non-profit called Chicago Adventure Therapy and we work with youth who are faced with extremely challenging conditions and they find a way to persevere. Our mission at CAT is to provide a therapeutic learning environment engaging in activities such as climbing, kayaking, cycling or orienteering. When one of our youth comes to a program and has never climbed before, the task of getting on the wall, addressing a fear of heights, or pushing through their muscle exhaustion, can feel extraordinarily daunting. But the sense of accomplishment afterwards is priceless. This sense of accomplishment is something they take with them after programming and are able to apply to various aspects of their life. And this is where the change happens. This past weekend I was given an incredible sense of accomplishment and truly feel that if I was able to accomplish 13.1 miles in those conditions, I am capable of accomplishing almost anything.

On memorial day weekend, I am participating in another race that is 10 miles and ends at the historic 50 yard line of Soldiers Field. My hope during this race is to raise money for Chicago Adventure Therapy, so we can continue to offer these wonderful opportunities to youth, so they can take a sense of accomplishment and continue to strive in their lives. Please consider making a donation to my cause and please know how much your support is appreciated. My goal is to raise $500, so every a $10 donation can make a big difference. Thank you so much for your help and I am wishing you all a happy spring!

All the best,
Christine