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Support Casey & Max's Half Marathon Honoring Len Frankel

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In March 2024, I had the privilege of hearing motivational speaker Sebastian Terry deliver a powerful keynote at a Trade Desk event. His talk focused on the idea of ‘living your bucket list’ and embracing the present moment rather than waiting for the 'right' time to pursue your dreams—reminding us that no day is guaranteed. His message struck a deep chord with me in that moment as he spoke of how the sudden loss of a close friend changed his perspective on life. Little did I realize just how profoundly his words would soon resonate with my own experiences.

At the start of his session, Sebastian asked the crowd to shout out something on their bucket list they’ve yet to achieve. After about 5 seconds of silence (about as much as I can handle) I shouted “run a half marathon!” 30 minutes later, Sebastian circled back and flashed four QR codes on the screen. He pointed to me and told me one of these will take me to the website to sign up for a NYRR half marathon this fall in NYC. “Don’t wait,” he said, looking me dead in the eyes. ”Do it right now.”

I turned red immediately, seriously questioning why I would ever say something like that out loud (I don’t run?!) I went home that night and told my husband about the speaker and the shouting out and the QR code. Together we decided to live our list - and we signed up that night for the NYRR Staten Island Half Marathon on October 13 (a random borough for us, yes, but transparently the date worked best with our schedules). With six months to go, our training began.

Two months later, on May 17th, my dad passed away unexpectedly. This loss completely rocked our worlds. I thought about Sebastian’s message and it hit me even harder than it did 2 months prior. “No day is guaranteed.” As many people do after losing a loved one, I began questioning life. What does it mean? Why are we here? What the hell is the point?

As days passed after the funeral, I knew I had two options. Let the grief swallow me whole, or let it push me forward. I made an active decision not to let this tragedy de-rail my goal, but instead I let it fuel me. I found immense comfort and purpose in reaching each milestone with my husband by my side. We went from hardly being able to run 2 miles to seamlessly running 10Ks at 5am before work to get our miles in together. With each week that passes and every mile under our belt, my stomach flips at the disbelief that I’ve even come this far. Sometimes my inner critic shows up to mock myself for being so proud of a “just” a half marathon. I tell that version of myself to shut up, but maybe she’ll be the one leading me to my next fundraising post — who knows.

That all brings me to today. We have 7 weeks to go to the half and this is where I choose to challenge myself to set my goals even higher. To honor my Dad, Max and I are setting out to raise $20,000 with two goals in mind: raising money for the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation, and donating an engraved paving stone in memory of Lennart Frankel at Gilder Run in Central Park. Please consider donating to support Max and me in reaching our goals, and to honor my Dad’s incredible legacy of a life that was taken far too soon.

We love and appreciate you all so much. Don’t wait to live your list.

All our love,
Casey & Max
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    Organiser

    Casey Segal
    Organiser
    New York, NY

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