Survival. Recovery. Determination: Running with a Disability

Running has given me everything. Through highs and lows, it is always there, but I wasn’t always a runner.

My running story began on January 1, 2019, on a frigid winter morning when I attempted to run my first mile. It didn’t go that well, I felt uncertain, and didn’t know what I was doing. But I stuck to it, watching others running around me. Three months later I was running in my first half marathon.

As weeks turned into months, I began to feel more exhilarated whenever I completed a run. During the pandemic I joined the NYRR Virtual Group Training program. Some of the faces on Zoom calls became familiar faces I would see running in Central Park. Running can be a solo sport but it can also connect you to different communities, neighborhoods, and new friends. Absorbing advice and guidance from NYRR coaches over Zoom, I began to form my own intimate run friend network and that transformed into an official new run group called Team Osprey.

Running inspired me and lifted my spirits.  I ran my first New York City Marathon in November 2021. It was one of the best days of my life.

Then life took an unexpected turn at the start of 2022. I landed in the hospital for three months with a rare brain infection and was unable to speak, swallow, move my arms or legs, or breathe on my own. So many of my running friends reached out. They were supportive, caring and concerned and sent messages, cards, balloons, love and prayers to me. My running teammates even dedicated parts of races they were running to me and my recovery.

While in acute rehab, my doctor connected me to Achilles International. When I was discharged from the hospital and began to walk again, I joined the Long Island Achilles chapter.  By attending group workouts, I was running again within a few months. I am not as fast as I was prior to my illness, but after surviving a life-changing near-death experience, the incredible love and support I have received from my fellow runners has empowered me immeasurably.

The NYRR run community is all about supporting and encouraging one another. It’s about accepting people when they’re just starting out or when starting over. In 2022 I learned how to walk and run again, so I can look back and say that I am a survivor. Being faced with a challenge helped me grow as a runner and I hope my story inspires others to also support runners in our community.

NYRR has helped me push my boundaries and challenge my limits to see what I’m capable of but also given me friendships that have developed, blossomed, and supported me through good and bad times. I am grateful to NYRR, to Team Osprey, Paragon Run Club, and Achilles International for making me feel unstoppable.