Sunday, October 11, 2009 will be the day I complete my first full marathon. Not too long ago, I could barely run to the corner, and now I am prepared and ready to go the distance. It took more than a year of hard work to get to this point, and it all started with the Firecracker 5K on July 4th of last year. My mother, Suzanne Burks, watched me cross that finish line, and she was so proud of me and of my brother Graham for meeting our goals that day. After a wonderful summer spent with family and friends, Suzanne passed away in a car accident on October 19, 2008. My older brother Graham and I decided that there would be no better way to honor mom's memory than to raise money in support of her favorite charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It is amazing how much running has helped us navigate our way through the past year; now we want to use this new focus to make the world that Suzanne made so bright become even brighter for others who need hope. We ran as Heroes in the St. Jude Half-Marathon in Memphis last year, so this will be the second race for us as "Team Suzanne." This time we are joined by my longtime friend -- a veteran of the 2007 Chicago Marathon -- Kelly Robinson. The three of us are certain that Suzanne's spirit will carry us across the finish line in Chicago. We are happy for this opportunity to serve, and we hope you will help us honor Suzanne by supporting St. Jude in making an immeasurable difference in the lives of children in need.
Thanks for helping me reach my goal for the kids of St. Jude
Click HERE to donate
2 comments:
Go Justin! I still can't run to the corner, so I'm totally proud of you for working up to this! Even though I work out 5 days a week, I cannot run without breaking down into an asthmatic fit...so I know running is a big, big challenge. Good work!
Thank you. Running is the only workout I don't tire of. It is meditative.
-j
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