Elise's fundraising journey to 26.2
I am beyond excited and deeply honored to have the opportunity to run the 130th Boston Marathon and represent the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital! Growing up just outside of Boston, I have stood on the sidelines of the marathon throughout the years, cheering on strangers as I watched them – quite literally – chase their dreams of running the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon. I have always dreamed of running it one day, yet it always seemed like such an impossible feat, as I never truly considered myself a runner. At the beginning of 2025, my New Year’s resolution was to improve my endurance through running. I started out barely able to run more than two miles, then worked my way up to signing up for a 10K, and eventually a half-marathon. One year later, it’s safe to say I stuck with that resolution!
Now, it feels incredibly meaningful to have the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon and represent the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Stepping Strong was founded in 2014 by the Reny family in light of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings that critically injured Gillian Reny. Gillian, who was just 18 years old at the time, was 1 of 39 critically injured patients that were rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital – the hospital that I am incredibly proud to work for and represent. It was at the Brigham where Gillian received exceptional care from her multidisciplinary team which helped save her life and legs.
Like many of us who live in the Boston area, I can vividly recall where I was on April 15, 2013 when the bombs went off. I was just 12 years old, sitting on my couch at home watching the news unfold, yet terrified myself – my mom and older sibling, Nala, were just one block away from the finish line when the bombs went off. Fortunately, neither of them were physically injured, but I noticed a lasting emotional trauma that they have carried all these years. Hearing first-hand from my family, as well as learning about Gillian’s story of resilience and strength, has given me a much deeper appreciation for the efforts provided by first responders and healthcare workers during the immediate fallout and weeks that followed this traumatic event.
Today, I work in the neurosurgery department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I interact with trauma patients on a daily basis through phone calls, patient messages, and face-to-face conversations. Through these interactions, I have learned the importance of how sharing a smile and spreading kindness can make a positive impact on a patient’s healthcare experience. I have also learned the importance of advocating for patients and providing them with the utmost respect and quality of care. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to continue to support our Brigham patients and further improve upon the care that they receive by fundraising for Stepping Strong.
Stepping Strong’s mission is to catalyze multidisciplinary collaborations and fuel innovations to improve outcomes from traumatic injuries. Your donation will go towards:
Fueling Research: We support clinical studies and collaborative projects that accelerate solutions and improve trauma patient outcomes
Reimagining Care: We embrace the latest research to redefine best practices and transform trauma care for survivors
Advancing Education: We train the next generation of trauma leaders and empower the public to respond to trauma
Inspiring Advocacy: We champion trauma survivors and injury prevention by raising awareness, supporting policy initiatives, and improving public safety
Thank you so much for supporting me on my tremendous journey to 26.2. Your gift today will help transform and save lives tomorrow!
Follow me on Strava and/or email me at elisemwu@gmail.com to stay up to date with my training progress and upcoming fundraising events!
From start to finish,
Elise Wu
