Running the Boston Marathon has been a dream of mine since I started distance running back in 2012. For years I have dreamt of the day I would get my moment to run down Boylston Street and cross the finish line of one of the most famous marathons in the world. And this year is finally the long awaited year I will get to do just that. Plus, it is even more meaningful this year for two reasons. It is the race that will make me a 6-Star World Marathon Major finisher. And beyond this personal milestone, I have also been given the opportunity to run for something far bigger than myself, by running for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Stepping Strong Marathon Team.

Through every marathon I have run, I have witnessed the incredible strength of everyday heroes — people who have lost limbs, survived devastating accidents, and endured trauma most of us can hardly imagine, yet they still lace up, show up, and fight with everything they have. Their courage has changed the way I see every mile.

That is why I am running for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Stepping Strong Marathon Team. Their work gives trauma patients hope, healing, and the chance to rebuild their lives. Supporting Stepping Strong means honoring the people who inspire me most — the survivors who remind me what true strength looks like. Every step I take in training and in Boston is for them, and for the dream that brought me here.

Brigham and Women's Hospital is a proud partner of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program.