Help Erin raise money

In 2023 I will celebrate 10 years of remission by running the Pittsburgh Marathon to raise money for Young Adult Survivors United, a local non-profit supporting cancer patients and survivors ages 18 - 39.

The last decade of my life has been a marathon in itself; and just like any marathon, there are miles where you feel invincible and others where you're just trying to keep the wheels from falling off. Either way, it is the endurance we build and resilience we rely on to make it to the finish line in one piece...and at peace.

This is my marathon story.

Like many cancer survivors, I have had more biopsies, scans, medications, therapies, and tests to diagnose and treat my illness than I can recall. I've developed long-term side effects from surgery and radiation treatment, like Lymphedema (fluid buildup in my limbs), and vision and dental issues, which I will have to manage for the rest of my life. We've found tumors in my brain and liver that we keep an eye on regularly. There are also the daily medications and supplements to compensate for my missing or damaged organs and tissues. Most days I can go through the motions and almost forget that I'm working a little harder now to make it through the day. Those are my steps, taken one after another, along the course of my marathon.

A diagnosis like this brings about so many emotions, both familiar and foreign, that we take on ourselves or project onto others around us. There is guilt, anger, sadness, relief, joy, and the most high-risk/high-reward emotion of all - hope. Over time those highs and lows become less dramatic and I wonder if that's because I've trained for those moments through my experiences or if I've set myself to autopilot just to cruise past the next hurdle a little less scathed. Those are all my hills and valleys, traversed one after, another along the course of my marathon.

Last year, when I decided to run my first full marathon in Pittsburgh, I knew the course would be challenging. The Pittsburgh Marathon is known for its hills, valleys, wildly unpredictable weather, and the Birmingham Bridge, which I was repeatedly told would be the worst of it all. I trained for months without skipping a single session. I read every book, listened to podcasts, joined online groups, and turned to every person I knew who had run a marathon to ask, “what’s it like?” I received great advice and words of encouragement, which instilled in me my ability to actually run this race and to even dream of finishing it at a satisfying pace. Unlike cancer, this time I was physically and mentally prepared to endure the pain my body was about to experience. This time I was at peace with just enduring the course and knowing that whether I finished or not, I was going to give it my best and take in the experience for what it was. And I did. 

Now, it is my opportunity to share my answer to “what’s it like?”

For better or worse, it’s sometimes starting off too quickly and later realizing this is not just a few miles, this is a long haul worth slowing your pace for to conserve your energy. It’s finding your stride and feeling like you could go forever with the wind at your back. It’s realizing you're only halfway up a big hill and there is still so much more to go. It’s feeling like you’ve done everything right and still not enough to make it through this in one piece. It’s putting on a happy face for bystanders cheering you on when you would rather fall apart because of the pain. And it’s finally realizing that you’re capable of more than you ever thought possible in your lifetime. Whether your journey is long or short, just remember to live in the mile you're in.

This is why I am running to raise money for Young Adult Survivors United (YASU) to support other young adult survivors experiencing their own journey who may need the financial, physical, or emotional support to endure the next mile of their marathon.

Will you help me hit my goal and make a positive change in the life of someone when they need it most?