Why I Run... for Team Emslie's Fight

I've answered the general question of why I run, but I wanted to share a bit more about why I'm running the 2013 NYC Marathon for two very special charities.  First up: Emslie's Fight.

I truly don't know where to start.  Do I start by talking about my nearly-lifelong friend, or by talking about the horribly tragic thing that happened to her and her husband and how amazing and strong they are in how they've chosen to respond to it?  A combination of the two might work: my nearly-lifelong friend is amazing and strong (and so is her husband).

In December 2011, Quentin and her husband Steve had a baby girl named Emslie who lost her fight with polycystic kidney disease just days after she was born.  A lot of people might sink into complete and utter despair, but Q and Steve have chosen to pick up Emslie's fight where their daughter left off - they are unbelievably dedicated to raising awareness for the disease, throwing fundraisers and encouraging friends and family to run races under the Run for PKD banner.  The way they have turned something so devastating into something so positive is truly inspiring.

And that's where I come in - after months of Steve bugging me on Facebook, I'm finally running a race for Team Emslie's Fight.  I knew I'd get guaranteed entry into this year's marathon (I'd entered the lottery three years in a row and hadn't gotten in) but I was looking for a charity team to join as well.  Despite Steve's pleading, I couldn't make the trip down to Savannah to run the Rock N Roll Half with the team, since that race is the week after the NYC Marathon.  The PKD Foundation has an option for runners to raise money for the cause in any local race - there doesn't have to be an official team for that race in order for you to run for PKD.  I signed up that way, pledging that I'd raise $500.  I was just about to email Quentin to tell her when Steve informed me that the PKD Foundation's event manager had told him about me, and we finagled a way for my funds to count towards Emslie's Fight's team total.  Even though I'm not running the same race, I'm still on the team, and I'm thrilled.

Quentin is without a doubt one of the strongest people I know (and Steve's not so bad himself), and the fact that something like this happened to her breaks my heart.  But I am endlessly inspired by her resilience and I am proud to run in her little girl's honor.

Please click here for my Team Emslie's Fight donation page.