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So you want to know a little more about me… Ok, so where do I start….
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a castle… Ok, just kidding. I am a Princess though, just ask me and I will tell you all about it.
Seriously, I am just your average girl next door: a really busy girl next door. I am a single mom to a wonderful teenaged daughter, I work full-time as a program manager for local government, I volunteer countless of hours with the Palm Beach Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, constantly fundraising for the Society, not to mention the many hours I spend training for endurance events. Busy is an understatement.
Early in life I was considered a Tom Boy. I grew up with brothers and nothing but male cousins. (I have plenty of female cousins, but I spent more time with the boys.) I guess there was a time in my youth when one would have considered me an athlete: I was a cheerleader, played softball and soccer, and occasionally even played a little volleyball (not to mention all the time I spent climbing trees/fences, kickball in the streets, bike riding, camping (in a tent, not a trailer), etc…). Never did I think at age 40 the term “athlete” would be used to describe me.
Early in life I was considered a Tom Boy. I grew up with brothers and nothing but male cousins. (I have plenty of female cousins, but I spent more time with the boys.) I guess there was a time in my youth when one would have considered me an athlete: I was a cheerleader, played softball and soccer, and occasionally even played a little volleyball (not to mention all the time I spent climbing trees/fences, kickball in the streets, bike riding, camping (in a tent, not a trailer), etc…). Never did I think at age 40 the term “athlete” would be used to describe me.
After a very sports-involved youth, I went through 3 knee surgeries on my left knee to correct issues with torn/shredded meniscus: the last surgery being in 2006 after which, very little of my cartilage was left.
After all the cutting, shots, MRIs, x-rays, and physical therapy, I was not expecting to ever be capable of running a block let alone a marathon. However, in August of 2009 my niece Courtney (at age 13) was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. I really did not know what to do. I reached out to my friends and family on that old social network in the sky, Facebook. One of my friends immediately chimed back with “Hey, look what I am doing with Team in Training, you wanna join me?”
I remembered my dear friend, Tricia (and her now husband, Zack), telling me all about her events and training with the Team. I never thought I would be able to do something like that. I offered her all my support, I just could not see myself running. However, when face with a 13 year old niece with cancer, what could it hurt to try?Since my initial season with the Team (Winter 2009), I have completed 9 half marathons, 1 full marathon, 1 sprint triathlon, and 1 Olympic triathlon (7 of those events have been as a fundraising participant of the Team). Currently, I am training with the Team for 103-mile Century Ride in Lake Tahoe (CA/NV). Up next is another shot at Nation’s Triathlon on September 11, 2011, also with the Team as a fundraising participant.
In addition to the time I spend training with the Team for events, and participating in those events with the Team, I also coordinate the Street Team which is the recruiting arm for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. We attend local events and recruit new participants to help us increase awareness and the funding available to the Society for all the wonderful programs they offer patients and their families, not to mention the billions of dollars that have been funding research for a cure.
I set up this blog to give my supporters, friends, and family an outlet to follow my training and events. In addition, I am looking to also utilize this blog to gain corporate sponsors for our Team and our Team events.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in donating to the cause or offering a sponsorship, I can be reached through this blog or at the email address below. For personal donations, please click the link on the right side of the page which will take you to the current fundraising site for my events. This link is secure and all donations are 100% tax-deductible.
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| Disney's Princess Half Marathon March 2010 |
Thank you all for your support and interest in my endeavors. I hope you will enjoy the reading.
Sincerely,
Andi, TNT Princess
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