Help Jacqi raise money

About Me and my Mission:

Running has been part of my life for a long time. I was a walk-on athlete for the University of Minnesota Duluth Track & Field team, starting as a freshman sprinter and finishing my college career as a nationally recognized Heptathlete — learning seven events and pushing myself in ways I never expected (at the time, the longest I had ever raced was 800m — just two laps around the track).

Now, as a college track and field coach, I’ve started to enjoy longer runs and biking, and I’ve been looking for a new challenge — and a meaningful reason to take it on. Following in my grandparents’ footsteps, who were both avid distance runners, I’m planning to run Grandma’s Marathon next year when I’m 26 — matching my age to the miles. To start training toward that goal, I’ll be running the half marathon this year, and I wanted to do it for a cause that truly matters to me.

While at UMD, I had the chance to be part of the Mentor North program. I was paired with a mentee, and over the years we did everything from beach days at Park Point to UMD basketball games, crafts at home, and cheering them on at their basketball games and track meets! That experience stuck with me and reminded me how small, consistent connections can make a real difference.

As I train for Grandma’s, I want to use this opportunity to give back to Mentor North and help support the kind of mentorship that meant so much to me.

Any donation means a lot — your support helps keep programs like this going strong, brings me closer to my $450 goal, gives me the chance to experience Grandma’s Marathon, and helps create more Mentor North opportunities for local youth.