Running With Purpose

Hey Friends,

At the start of this year, I made a promise to myself: to take on something challenging—something that demanded discipline, sacrifice, and heart. I wanted my 7-year-old son, Jayce, to see what it looks like to show up, push through, and keep going—even when it’s hard.

So I signed up for the San Francisco Half Marathon—13.1 miles across hills, wind, and the iconic Golden Gate. And mile by mile, I’ve been training. Starting with short runs, building to longer ones. But every step has brought one thing into sharp focus: I’m not the only one running a hard race.

Some of the strongest people I know are battling something far tougher than miles on a road. They’re fighting cancer—with courage, grace, and grit. I’ve been wearing a pink bracelet for months now, in quiet solidarity and loud support.

Now, with race day just days away, I’m running with purpose. I run for my son, Jayce. For my wife. For our family. For my sister—a cancer survivor. For sweet boy Rocket, who recently passed. For the loved ones we've lost. And most of all, I run for my friends in the fight right now: Sunny (Bouakadakis) Blount, Kim (Bohnert) Cody, Kevin Bachar, Steph Saffer, and Mars Wasef.

I’ve chosen to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)—an organization fueling groundbreaking, collaborative cancer research. If you feel moved to support, a donation of any amount would mean the world. And even just sharing this with someone else helps the cause.

Thank you for reading, for supporting, and for being part of this journey.

You are my inspiration.

You are why I run.

With gratitude,

Roja