Help Paige raise money

I’m Running Because I Get To

This October, I’m taking on the longest distance I’ve ever run: 13.1 miles at the Twin Cities Half Marathon. But this race is about so much more than crossing a finish line.

I’m running and raising money for Gillette Children’s, a place that means so much to our family.

My daughter, Nora, has an ultra-rare genetic condition called CASK disorder. Because of CASK, Nora experiences significant physical and developmental challenges, and Gillette is one of the places we turn to for the specialized care she needs.

Training for a half marathon is hard. There are mornings when I don’t want to get out the door, miles when my legs are tired, and moments when my brain starts telling me I can’t keep going.

And in those moments, I remind myself:

I get to do this.

I get to run. I get to push my body. I get to feel my legs get tired and ask them to keep going. I get to choose to take on something physically difficult because my body is able to do it.

There are so many children and adults—including people I love more than anything—who don’t get that choice.

So I’m running for them.

I’m running for Nora. I’m running for the kids and families who walk through the doors at Gillette every day. And I’m running in gratitude for a body that allows me to do something that once felt impossible.

13.1 miles will be the farthest I have ever run, and every one of those miles will mean something.

If you’d like to support my run, I would be incredibly grateful for a donation to Gillette Children’s. Your support will help provide specialized care for kids like Nora and families like ours.

And when things get hard on race day, I already know what I’ll tell myself:

I don’t have to do this. I get to do this. And I’m going to keep going.