Great Wall Marathon
Donation protected
My name is Shannon, some of you call me Shani.
I am a wife and a mother of two great children. I have been blessed in my life in this small town of Wickenburg. I have everything I could ever hope for... food in my refrigerator, clothes in my closet, a car to drive and a beautiful home and great health. Despite this, in 2013, I hit my low. I became depressed. I was 60 lbs overweight and was just miserable. I wore a mask and became great at smiling and acting like everything was "fine." I became a closet eater, I isolated from all of my friends and family, suicidal ideations were present and I just felt "stuck." My doctor put me on meds to help stabilize me. They did not work. I felt worse and ended up not caring about anything or anyone. I spent a lot of time in prayer, searching for anything that could help me. That could save me.
I realized that I was the only one that could save myself. I was tired of living in a dark world. I had a lot of supporters, but I needed to stop making excuses and do the work. I began to eat cleaner and after watching my sister and brother in law with their running, I decided to try that. I was willing to try anything. In my life, I have never been a runner and have felt like a failure when trying. 20 yards lead to 100 yards, to a half mile, to a mile. I kept going and after a while, it got easier. It became my therapy. My depression lifted and I got a gimpse of myself again. I fought like hell to get myself back. I found myself longing to run. I started to enjoy it. In an attempt to save my body from the wear and tear of running, I decided to add in biking, hiking and swimming. I haven't looked back. Ive run over 35 races which have included, 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, 3 sprint triathlons and two 1/2 marathons. I will be running my third on my home turf in April.
Today, I am 62 lbs lighter, my head is clear and I am high on life! Depression still creeps in. When that does happen, I lace up and go outside for a high dose of mother nature. What a great feeling. Ive learned that if I take care of my body, it will take care of me.
So, I have set a goal for myself. I want to celebrate my life and I want to run the 2016 Great Wall Marathon. Thats right, in Tianjin Province, China! As much as I hate to ask, I need support from my family and friends. Emotional and financial support. Many of you have expressed wanting to help me and this is why I have set this up. I need to raise $5000.00 to make this dream come true. I will also be doing fundraisers throughout the year to help me meet my goal.
God Bless you all and thank you for your support!
I am a wife and a mother of two great children. I have been blessed in my life in this small town of Wickenburg. I have everything I could ever hope for... food in my refrigerator, clothes in my closet, a car to drive and a beautiful home and great health. Despite this, in 2013, I hit my low. I became depressed. I was 60 lbs overweight and was just miserable. I wore a mask and became great at smiling and acting like everything was "fine." I became a closet eater, I isolated from all of my friends and family, suicidal ideations were present and I just felt "stuck." My doctor put me on meds to help stabilize me. They did not work. I felt worse and ended up not caring about anything or anyone. I spent a lot of time in prayer, searching for anything that could help me. That could save me.
I realized that I was the only one that could save myself. I was tired of living in a dark world. I had a lot of supporters, but I needed to stop making excuses and do the work. I began to eat cleaner and after watching my sister and brother in law with their running, I decided to try that. I was willing to try anything. In my life, I have never been a runner and have felt like a failure when trying. 20 yards lead to 100 yards, to a half mile, to a mile. I kept going and after a while, it got easier. It became my therapy. My depression lifted and I got a gimpse of myself again. I fought like hell to get myself back. I found myself longing to run. I started to enjoy it. In an attempt to save my body from the wear and tear of running, I decided to add in biking, hiking and swimming. I haven't looked back. Ive run over 35 races which have included, 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, 3 sprint triathlons and two 1/2 marathons. I will be running my third on my home turf in April.
Today, I am 62 lbs lighter, my head is clear and I am high on life! Depression still creeps in. When that does happen, I lace up and go outside for a high dose of mother nature. What a great feeling. Ive learned that if I take care of my body, it will take care of me.
So, I have set a goal for myself. I want to celebrate my life and I want to run the 2016 Great Wall Marathon. Thats right, in Tianjin Province, China! As much as I hate to ask, I need support from my family and friends. Emotional and financial support. Many of you have expressed wanting to help me and this is why I have set this up. I need to raise $5000.00 to make this dream come true. I will also be doing fundraisers throughout the year to help me meet my goal.
God Bless you all and thank you for your support!
Organizer
Shannon Hershkowitz
Organizer
Wickenburg, AZ
