This year, on Sunday, June 22nd, I will be running in the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) 10K race as part of the Brigham and Women’s Center for Surgery and Public Health (CSPH) Surgical Strides for Impact team! 

Collectively, we are aiming to raise $10,000 for the CSPH Patient and Community Advisory Board (PCAB), which engages patients and community members in our research to inform priorities that reflect the community’s needs, and to co-design and implement patient-focused interventions.

Personally, I started running just three years ago—all thanks to my wonderful and inspiring colleagues at CSPH! Growing up, most of my childhood memories are of hospitals, surrounded by kind-hearted clinicians who took such compassionate care of me. Although I no longer struggle physically with my health, I still find it challenging to listen to my body with kindness and wisdom. Running became a way for me to build a healthier relationship with myself.

Running has given me a way to build a healthier and closer relationship with my own body. This year, I’ve been training for my first full marathon (on Sunday, May 25th—wish me luck!). Even though I’ve been physically training, about 80% of the work has actually been mental—training myself to develop a more encouraging, compassionate, and loving inner voice. 

Most importantly, running taught me and reminded me of the power of believing!  My Buddhist mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, once shared: 

If your brain thinks that something is impossible, you cannot muster the strength to break through that wall of impossibility. This is the danger of preconceived notions. In the world of sports, improving one’s skills and athletic abilities are of course important. But in the end, in the midst of competition, everything comes down to a battle of the spirit of human will. 

-  February 2017 Living Buddhism, p. 3

Now, I feel deep appreciation for the opportunity to run for a good cause—something bigger than myself. With that said, I truly appreciate any amount of support you can give to our CSPH Surgical Strides for Impact team!

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital (BWFH) provide compassionate, high-quality care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty to patients locally, regionally, nationally and around the world. Every day, our clinicians, researchers, and caregivers work to find new ways to predict, prevent, and treat the most challenging diseases of our time while delivering world-class care with a profoundly human touch. Our Brigham 10K Teammates are proud to fuel quality patient care, innovative training, and life-changing discoveries that will benefit patients here in Boston and around the world, all in support of an area that is meaningful to them.

Thank you for supporting this extraordinary group of runners!