When I decided to leave my award winning career as a VA social worker just 3 years shy of when I was eligible for retirement in May of 2007 to heal my life from the effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma, it was an act of faith. I couldn't see the whole staircase of what was ahead for me financially, physically (I'd just been diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards), emotionally or spiritually. When the words, "And I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital next year" fell out of my mouth when my personal trainer asked me what my next health and fitness goals were in February of 2008, I had no idea what I was doing. I was following a call.
When we arrived in Hyannis for the Hyannis Marathon Weekend in February of 2009, I felt like a fish out of water. Here I was among all these runners sporting their Boston Marathon jackets, shopping at the Expo and seeming far more knowledgeable than I about running. There were signs and synchronicity that let me know I was right where I was supposed to be instinctively sharing my inspirational story about coming out of a leg brace and a wheelchair to take on the running of the 2009 Boston Marathon.
I was in awe that people were in awe of my story. I didn't know that the running community was not only inclusive but embraced my courage to find my way to the sport of running at the age of 54 years old.
I was embraced by the running community AND running greats Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter.
The races leading up to running the Hyannis Half Marathon did not offer medals so you can well imagine my thrill at receiving a medal after I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon race:
As we trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon and committed to our fund raising goal, I had to have the utmost trust and faith that I would succeed. I had no idea where the monies would come from when we first set out on the journey nor did I have any idea how I was going to run 26.2 miles when I'd never run a day in my life before March of 2008.
With patience, perseverance, taking it literally one step and then one mile at a time having the utmost faith in what I was doing, I crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and we raised $10,535 for Spaulding Rehab.
Becoming a part of the running community, meeting running greats and earning my first race medal at the Hyannis Marathon Weekend are some of my fondest memories as I celebrate ten years of running!
From my heart to yours,
To your health and wellness,
Mary
Proud to be a part of Friends of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc.
Be sure to visit my website by following this link.
My books are available on Amazon.
Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life
Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:
Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):
Coming soon *** The Adventures of Runnergirl1953 ****
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