Hello! For those of you new here, my name is Justin, and I'm running the 2023 NYC Marathon! For the past year, I've been joking with many people that I am running the marathon for one reason: attention. And while I won't say no to people coming and cheering me on with my name on big signs (presumably from Michael's or like, Hobby Lobby), my marathon extends well beyond my own vanity. I'm proudly running on behalf of New York Road Runner's (NYRR) Team for Kids (TFK). Every year, TFK fundraises money for NYRR's youth and community services, known as Rising New York Road Runner's. While this organization has many purposes, it in large part funds various youth fitness programs that exist at schools in NYC and around the country. These programs benefit over 112,000 kids across the country, and the funding goes towards training teachers, equipment, resources, and opportunities for kids to engage in physical activity. You can learn more about the organization HERE.

For those of you who've made it this far, I'd now like to tell you why the mission of this organization means a lot to me, and why I've agreed to run all across the city to prove it. In 7th grade, I joined the cross country team. While I'd like to say that I always dreamed of becoming a runner, the reality is that I didn't really know what else to do. I was a scrawny, insecure adolescent at the peak of puberty who was to small for football or lacrosse and fast enough to convince people that I genuinely wanted to become a runner, when the truth was I just wanted to be a part of some sports team and have a chance of actually being decent. What I didn't know, however, is that I genuinely would fall in love. Like most of us, my middle school years (and early high school years, I'll admit) were rough, to say the least. But running gave me an escape. No matter how bad my day was, I knew I'd get to go outside, shed my backpack, and hit the ground running (literally). That's not to say it was all enjoyable - I worked hard than I ever worked, running 30 miles a week from ages 12-18. But the work I put in provided me with so many benefits. I learned how to discipline myself in a stable way that allowed me to achieve my goals, gained confidence in my physical and mental abilities, and I grew a community around me. Running didn't change my life; it gave me the tools I needed to live my life, improve the things around me that could be better, and cope with the things that were out of my control.

As a mental healthcare professional and a social work student, I know there are kids across the country who cope with the same issues that I did but are far less fortunate than me. Kids who don't attend a well-funded public school, have food and housing security, or have stability at home. Unfortunately, an athletic program can't change any of those circumstances. However, it can provide kids with an outlet that will help them cope with those circumstances and provide them with the tools necessary to better their own welfare in the future. Whether it be finding a community, developing an improved social emotional wellbeing, or earning an athletic scholarship to university, NYRR's youth and community programs create possibility for kids who may not have had it otherwise.

So, in honor of doing this crazy thing called the marathon, I'm asking for your help in reaching my goal of $2,620 for Team for Kids! All proceeds will go directly to their organization. Please consider donating and sharing. Thank you!