As some of you
know, I ran the Chicago Marathon for the first time in 2009. I enjoyed
the challenge of training for such a big goal and the race day
experience is one I'll never forget (especially the cold!).
Despite the countless days of soreness during the process, I decided
I'd like to feel the accomplishment of finishing the Chicago Marathon
again and signed up to run this year.
More importantly, I signed up to run the marathon through a charity race entry for a local Chicago non-profit, Girls in the Game. Some of you locals may have heard of them, but for those who haven't,
Girls in the Game primarily works to support school age, underprivileged girls in Chicago, primarily through sports and fitness activities,
education in the areas of nutrition as well as tutoring in academic
subjects. The overall goal is to help these young girls develop
leadership skills and self-esteem so they can live a better, healthier
life. I encourage you to visit their website for more about them and their many programs in the Chicagoland area.
Why am I running for Girls in the Game? Looking at my own life, I recognize many of the benefits playing sports and physical activity
had and continue to have in terms on my health and personal development. I
was lucky enough to have these opportunities and a strong support
system, but many of the girls who Girls in the Game help serve do not.
Girls in the Game offers nearly all of their programs for FREE to the
girls, and the fact is, their programs work. After a year of
participating in their programs outside research showed
these girls exercise more, have a lower, healthier BMI (Body Mass
Index), eat more fruits, vegetables and healthy foods, have a healthy
body image and feel good about themselves, and believe they are leaders
with the ability to change their lives and their communities. I plan on
volunteering with Girls in the Game this summer and hopefully
throughout my time in PT school as well.
Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of meeting several of the other Girls in the
Game race team members at a kickoff party and it was clear that we all
have the same goal: to help raise money for Girls in the Game. I ask that you please consider supporting Girls in the
Game by making a donation via my marathon fundraising page here. All online donations are secured with 256-bit encryption.
If you prefer not to donate online, I would gladly accept a check made
out to Girls in the Game, mailed to my me. Please leave a comment with your email address if you prefer this option and I will send you my address.
As the saying goes, no amount is too small. Also, if you know of anyone
else who may be interested in supporting Girls in the Game, please pass along the link to my donation page. THANK
YOU for your support!
Additionally, I encourage you to follow my training and
summer activities via my blog. As you can see, I have been updating it much more, including the recap of my most recent vacation to the Pacific Northwest. My friend Megan and I also started a beer/travel blog (admittedly, there is a bit of crossover), which
you can view here. Finally, I'll post updates to my Facebook page often, including the donation link, so don't be surprised if you see it again soon.
Hope you all are enjoying your summer,
Jen
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