Help Brian raise money

I am running for a reason! I have challenged myself to run my first marathon. Why? Because I am always looking for ways to grow and I believe that doing hard things make us stronger physically, emotionally and mentally! 

I chose the Mario Lemieux Foundation because I believe in helping kids. I have been a teacher for 18 years and have dedicated myself to making a positive impact on children's lives. The Mario Lemieux Foundation is no different. Growing up in western PA, being a Penguins fan, and knowing the Foundation supports children's cancer research made picking this cause to run for a no-brainer. 

At the end of 2019, I weighed 225lbs. I went to the gym regularly before Covid to stay active, but I could barely run a mile without exhaustion. I began waking up at 4:00am each morning to meditate and run because I had to do something to keep myself active. As I was going into the school building each day, I noticed I was more positive and had more energy for my students. Even though I could not see their smiles, we smiled and enjoyed each school day together. I began sharing my running journey with them and how it was helping me persevere through these tough times. We talked about how it is important to do hard things to help us grow, become stronger mentally and physically, as well as being more resilient. Now I will be able to do more than just talk about it, I was able to share with them real life examples of how I was persevering.  

I am a believer in doing hard things and helping people. I am a servant leader with a focus on helping myself to be able to help others thrive and flourish each day. If I reach my fundraising goal, I will receive my entry fee back for the Pittsburgh Marathon. Instead of keeping that money, I want to give it to my favorite Pittsburgh non-profit, Pinksocks. Pinksocks is centered on kindness and connection. I gift pinksocks to my students each year and to others to building connections and create smiles. The donation to Pinksocks will help me, other educators and anyone else to keep gifting goodness!