Almost two months later, I finally finished writing a letter that I will send to all my donors who helped me exceed my fundraising goals. My minimum requirement was $2,400 and I raised $4, 335! I am so deeply grateful to everyone who made a donation so I wrote this letter to share the entire experience of the marathon, since I could not have made it without them.
Dear Family and Friends,
I came, I saw, I conquered 13.1 miles! I am proud to report
that I successfully crossed the finish line at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San
Francisco, on October 14. It is an experience I won’t soon forget. What started
out as a way to give back to others and to try something new, ended up being a personal
journey of sorts, and I emerged a better person.
In the early days of my training I realized it was going to
be an emotional experience, which I honestly hadn’t anticipated. As I shared in my fundraising letter, one of
my motivations was to honor my mom who I lost to lymphoma in 2005. Every
Saturday, on our long training days, I would find myself thinking about my mom
and remembering her struggle the last 9 months of her life. As I confronted these details again, I was
saddened yet bolstered by these memories. I thought of the countless patients
and their families going through the same struggle, and although I shed some
tears as I covered those training miles, I became resolved to walk and run for
those who cannot. Week by week, I covered more and more mileage and with the
help of Team in Training, I achieved goals I never considered before. And when I doubted myself and my ability, I
thought of each and every one of you that sent me a donation and believed
in me, and I pushed forward with renewed confidence.
The Nike Women’s Marathon benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society (LLS) and this year 25,000 women and a few good men (!) participated in
the event. As expected, the race course
was scenic and spectacular as we wound our way through San Francisco. Aside
from the natural beauty, there was no end to the supporters cheering us on
throughout the course, brandishing funny signs, clanging cow bells and offering
words of encouragement. During the last
mile and a half, I began “talking” to my mom in my head, telling her that this
race, this effort, was so that her battle with lymphoma was not in vain. I am
picking up where she left off, and continuing the fight against blood cancers,
so that one day, there will be no need for this marathon. I hope she is proud
of me and I hope I have made you proud as well.
To simply say this was a “good experience” doesn’t do it
justice; there are simply too many layers. First and foremost, I raised
$4,235.00 for LLS. I am truly touched by
every single donation I received, and in this economy, I don’t take that
generosity for granted. Secondly, completing this marathon has spurred me to
tap into my own potential. Now I think to myself “well, I never thought I’d complete
a marathon but I did. So what else can I do?” The possibilities are endless! Lastly, I have found a sense of peace in my
heart. In the words of Maya Angelou “I
have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the
giver”. Helping others in memory of my mother, has afforded me that
liberation.
Once again, my sincerest thanks to you for your support and
encouragement. I could not have made it across the finish line without you and
it is with gratitude that I share this accomplishment with you.
Warmest
regards,
Gigi
