Hello everyone and thank you for visiting my Boston Marathon 2025 fundraising page. The Boston Marathon is far more than just a race to me. I began my freshman year at Boston University a few months after the devastating April 15, 2013 bombing, and my accepted students day was just two days before it occurred. When I embarked on my college journey, I soon learned that Marathon Monday was a rite of passage for Boston University students since a few miles of the race pass through our campus.
I felt blessed to have my first Marathon Monday be one imbued with so much meaning and hope. I was moved to tears recalling the heroism, strength, kindness, and resilience exhibited by Bostonians and was convinced that Boston is the greatest city in the world. David Ortiz couldn't have said it better: "This is our fucking city!"
I knew that the marathon must be special since thousands of courageous people decided to run their hearts out just a year after tragedy ensued. It was a moving display of unity, brave defiance, and immense Boston pride that will stick with me forever.
It was always buried deep in my mind that one day I'd love to run the Boston Marathon myself. However, I was a very casual runner, only logging about 3 miles a week at a pretty slow pace. Fast forward 11 years, and my casual running turned into a lifelong passion. My wonderful personal trainer, Alex, gave me the competitive running bug and I have never looked back. His gentle but persistent nudging to run a marathon paid off and I finally said to myself, "If I'm going to run a marathon, it's gonna be Boston!"
And so my marathon journey began. I ran my first marathon, Revel NH, on May 5, 2024 to gauge what 26.2 miles felt like with the hope that I'd find my way to run Boston. Thanks to my dear friend, Ramon Garcia, my Boston dream has become a reality. I am ecstatic to announce that I will be running the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2025. I will be running for The Garcia Foundation & fiscal sponsor OjFit Foundation Inc. Both organizations strive to help individuals' health & wellness through education and movement in the Boston community. This race already means so much to me, but I have the added bonus of getting to run it for my 30th birthday, which is also in April 2025. I'd say that's a pretty epic way to ring in a new decade!
Although the training will likely have me questioning my life choices and running through some gnarly Boston winter conditions, it is well worth it. I am humbled by the opportunity to represent a city that has given me so much, from a storybook college experience to a chance meeting with the love of my life. Sharing the course with people from all walks of life, from people in wheelchairs to veterans and regular folks like me, is truly the greatest honor of my life. I am proud to give back to this incredible city in any way I can.
Therefore, I am humbly asking you all to join me on this transformative journey and donate anything you are able to my cause. Any amount helps and there is no pressure. If you can't donate, no problem whatsoever, just share my fundraising page with a few friends or family members! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping me live out my dream; it means the world to me! Now let's get pumped together for an EPIC Boston 2025!
Where Your Impact Goes:
Scholarships for Fitness Education: Opening doors for individuals to access training and wellness programs they might not afford otherwise.
Empowering Underserved Communities: Bringing health, fitness, and wellness education to those who need it most, creating a ripple effect of positive change.
Transforming Lives: Your support helps us provide resources that create real opportunities and inspire hope for a healthier future.
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UPDATE: 1/22/2025
"I am proud to announce that I have raised $750 towards the cause so far and training has been going well. Only 12 weeks to go! Thank you to all the supporters who believed in my dream. Looking forward to continuing this journey together!"