Courage and Determination on the Road to Brooklyn
The field for the Virtual Volvo Cars Brooklyn Half Powered by Strava includes runners with inspiring stories of courage and perseverance, three of which we share here. Learn more about this amazing virtual 13.1M race, set for May 15-23, and sign up to take part anywhere in the world. Then share your race-day story with us using #brooklynhalf.
Calvin Harris
“As healthy as I can be”
Calvin Harris has sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that has affected his lungs, skin, and bones. Despite his diminished lung capacity from the disease, Calvin is able to run, with his doctor’s approval. “Running keeps me as healthy as I can be,” he said.
This will be Calvin’s second half marathon. He ran the Virtual Brooklyn Half last year to celebrate moving from Maryland to Brooklyn Heights in 2019 to become the senior vice president and chief financial officer of the National Urban League, a renowned civil rights organization. This year he’s running to honor those with sarcoidosis who cannot run, as some of those who have the disease are in wheelchairs and/or use oxygen tanks to manage their breathing.
“Running was one of the major things that kept me going this past year,” said Calvin. “Once the lockdown occurred, running was one of the few reasons I even left my house.” Sarcoidosis puts him at high risk for COVID-19 complications.
Calvin plans to run the Brooklyn Half course from near Prospect Park to the boardwalk at Coney Island. “I treasure my ability to run,” he said. “Many with my disease are not so fortunate. I run to celebrate my fight against sarcoidosis.”
Helga Lavan
"We all have the strength to overcome"
Even before the pandemic began in March 2020, the year wasn’t going well for Helga Lavan. She’d recently ended a three-year abusive relationship, and in January she received a breast cancer diagnosis and had a lumpectomy. She was mourning the loss of her parents, who both passed away in 2019. “I was losing one thing after another,” said Helga, who lives in Brookfield, CT.
An avid runner, Helga had completed nine NYRR races in 2019. She was eager to return to running after her surgery but learned she would need a second operation—this time a double mastectomy. Last fall she ran the Virtual Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff 5M, followed by six more NYRR virtual races including the 2020 Virtual TCS New York City Marathon and the 2021 Virtual United Airlines NYC Half.
“I wanted to show my three sons that no matter what life throws at us, we all have the strength to overcome and set new goals,” said Helga. As a single mother and a domestic violence survivor, she feels the need to stay strong and be a role model for her boys. When she’s not running—usually on a treadmill in her home—or taking care of her sons, she works as a court stenographer.
Helga will run the Virtual Volvo Cars Brooklyn Half from her childhood home in Queens. “Running truly has been my bridge to recovery and escape after everything I have gone through,” she said. “It has helped me redefine myself as a person.”
Ryan Anness
"Giving back to kids is huge"
Ryan Anness is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed at Naval War College in Newport, RI. He’s running the Virtual Volvo Cars Brooklyn Half with NYRR Team for Kids to support NYRR’s youth programs.
“I’m fundraising to support all the kids whose sports activities were impacted by the pandemic,” said Ryan. “Giving back to kids is a huge aspect of why I run.”
Ryan has two kids of his own, an 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. He has served in the Marines for 13 years, and in 2011 was deployed to Afghanistan, where he worked as a joint terminal attack controller, calling for artillery strikes and air strikes.
A longtime runner, Ryan completed the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon. He’s coached by Paralympic triathlete Chris Hammer and hopes to one day qualify for the All-Marines Running Team and to run the Boston Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon.
He’ll run the Virtual Volvo Cars Brooklyn Half around the War College in Newport. His goal is to better his personal-best time of 1 hour and 37 minutes. “I want to be as close to 1:30 as possible,” he said.
“Running is an outlet to clear my mind and stay in shape,” said Ryan. “During the pandemic, running was one of the few things that got me out of the house while many other activities were closed entirely.”