You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face… You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt.
On the ride home from a day of shopping in early March with my friend Nikki, she informed me that she planned to run the 2008 Chicago Marathon. “Wow! Have you run a marathon before?” I replied. She said, “Yes, a few years back.” So I enthusiastically told her that she could expect me to cheer her on and be there screaming at the finish line. That’s when she dropped the bomb and said she thought I should run too. “Oh no, that’s crazy! I hate running. That’s never going to happen, but I will support you.” Well, they say, never say never…
I am proud to say that I ran the Chicago Marathon, this past Sunday, October 12, 2008in support of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.! That’s right, 26.2 miles! It was a sunny 85 degrees and not much wind. Hot weather creates dangerous conditions for distance runners. But I was one of more than 31,000 runners that beat the heat and finished. As a non-athlete, it was by far the most challenging goal I have ever set for myself. Consequently, crossing that finish line was both exhilarating and empowering.
The reality is, however, that I did not run this race alone. I want to first thank my great friend Nikki for presenting me with the opportunity to take this amazing journey. I want to thank the National AIDS Marathon Training Program and the south side coaches for the excellent preparation that enabled me to run a successful injury free marathon. I want to thank my pace group members that stuck together and ran, walked, laughed, stretched, and encouraged one another through the finish line. I want to thank my family for driving 12 hours in the middle of the night to come and support me and share this moment. I want to thank my friends who sat out in the sun for hours just to shout my name as I ran past. And a special thank you to the citizens of Chicago who lined the streets to cheer us along. Those individuals have no idea how key they were to me maintaining the mental strength to keep going long after my legs wanted to stop. THANK YOU!
And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank everyone who donated to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago on behalf. I was able to raise almost $2000 to fund essential services for people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS. Despite recent advances in the treatment of AIDS, the epidemic is far from over. More than one million Americans and 40 million others around the world are now living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. It is now the leading cause of death among all people 15 to 59 years of age. The money raised through the program will allow the AIDS Foundation of Chicago to direct medical care, food, housing and other important AIDS services – to help keep people alive until there’s a cure.
During the seven-month National AIDS Marathon Training Program I logged nearly 500 miles. The reasons I decided to run a marathon were first, the cause and second, to challenge myself to do something less than one percent of the population has accomplished. I should be an inspiration to anyone who is thinking about running a marathon whether half or full. Believe me, if I can do it and my father who is 65 can do it (he walked the race in support of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago), then if you commit to it and train you too can run/walk a marathon. See you in ’09!
By Neonu Jewell
