Help Support My Journey

Dear Friends and Family,

I am looking for support to help me participate in The Speed Project (“TSP”), one of the most challenging races in the world this November. It is quite the endeavor, taking place over three to four days, and requires a support vehicle, at least a two-person support team, travel, helicopter insurance (in case a rescue is needed), and a few nights of lodging. In total, it will cost me over $7,000 to support both me and my team.

I was recruited to participate in the TSP last year in the Atacama Desert in Chile, helping pace a runner by running 230 out of the 290 miles of the race (with over 20,000 feet of elevation gain), while also scouting the course and meeting all of the runner’s needs. It was an amazing experience and absolutely changed my life. This year, I decided to tackle the race myself, with an altered route that has made it both longer and harder. After finishing TSP last year, I began training for my first race as a professional runner, excited and eager to pursue my new career, with a healthier approach to training. However, my body had different ideas and for about ten months, I have been injured and unable to run pain-free. I did participate in the Olympic trials, running through significant pain, before being forced to take an extended break. Unfortunately, this has interfered with my ability to secure sponsorships to fully financially support my running career.

With exuberant amounts of cross-training and physical therapy, I am back to running and am committed to participating in the TSP, both for professional and personal reasons. I also hope to bring awareness to mental health, in particular eating disorders, in the running world through this journey. I have always aimed to be open about my struggles with anxiety, depression, and a long-standing eating disorder, in hopes that my sharing can help others feel a bit less alone and shed light on an often swept under the rug reality of many athletes. In fact, for every $5 donated, I will donate $1 to McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, a place that helped me at one of my lowest points.

Recovery is a never-ending journey, but it is possible to achieve one’s aspirations even in a sport that asks so much of both your body and mind.

I would truly appreciate any amount that you would be willing to contribute to support my team and McLean Hospital. Any amount helps, and I am sincerely grateful for both your belief and support in me in this crazy journey.

Thank you too for joining me in pushing boundaries, both physical and mental, and for helping me turn a dream into a reality. I promise to give this race everything I have, and to use this experience to inspire, educate, and advocate for those fighting their own battles.