5K Wheels

Elizabeth Stanhope is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

My name is Elizabeth and on Aug 23, 1998, at the age of 16, I was involved in an auto accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down, but I have NEVER let that slow me down! Fast forward 21 years and now I'm a single mom working as a full time Medical Assistant in what I consider the best office EVER, Center For Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Auburn Hills Michigan! As a result of an e-mail sent out to the staff to "Run with your Doc" a get to know your co-workers/get healthy event, I took part in my first ever 5K race event and have fell in love with racing! In fact my office paid for the first two races that I was in. See I told you, best office ever! Thus far, I have taken part in 6 races this year and have some goals set for next race season! This form of exercise and competition has helped me mentally, built strength, and has brought back my competitive nature.

The races I have done this year are:

1- Apple Fest 5k, Sep 14, 2019 with a finish time of 42:15 (3rd place finisher in my age group)
2- The Brooksie Way, Sep 21, 2019 with a finish time of 48:20
3- Weekend Warrior Runfest, Oct 6, 2019 with a finish time of 45:45
4- Michigan Monster Dash, Oct 26, 2019 with a finish time of 58:54
5- 4 Star 4 mile (Veteran's Day Race), Nov 10, 2019 with a finish time of 1:08:13
6 - The Mighty Gobbler, Nov 28, 2019 with a finish time of 45:24
7 - 2019 Santa Family Run and Walk, with an approximate finish time of 48:48. This was not a timed race so I had to look at the clock as I crossed the finish line and subtract a few mins dues to having to pull over during the race and fix my sign.

My goals are simple:

1- Complete a 5K course in 40 mins (my fastest time so far is 42:15 at the Apple Fest 5K in Fenton Mi)
2- Next race season, starting in approximately April, I want to race the equivalent of a marathon, 26.2 miles!
To help reach these goals I'm in a gym 3 days a week. I've worked closely with a personal trainer to design a workout program that will help me build the strength I need! In fact, in just a month and a half I've already noticed small benefits to this healthy change!!

I'm raising money to obtain a wheelchair fit for my racing. Right now I'm using my everyday chair and it's working but the additional wear and tear is going to cause me to be in the repair shop A LOT! The chair I'm looking at is still an upright chair but it's lighter and I'm hoping to get some good road tires for it. I'm looking to work with my cousin in Texas, DJ, in developing the best chair for my racing need! With over 15 years of experience in dealing with disabled individuals needs I trust he'll put me in the best fit!

Our Office Team at The Apple Fest 2019