Growing up, I turned on the television every October and watched the Chicago Marathon. I always thought it would be incredible to accomplish a feat of that magnitude someday, but it always seemed to be just a far-reaching goal. In the fall of 2021, I learned that my maternal grandmother, who was my last living grandparent, was terminal with her battle against metastatic lung and gastric cancer. She played an important part in raising me and is the only grandparent I ever got to know. Her courage and strength in battle inspired me to pursue my lifelong dream of running a marathon. This sparked the beginning of my running journey in October 2021, as I began training for my first marathon while fundraising for The American Cancer Society in honor of my grandmother. Prior to this, I had only ever participated in a couple of Turkey Trot 5K events in college and a half marathon in medical school. Taking on the challenge of training for a marathon was a feat of its own that lasted many months. I’m happy to say that I completed my first marathon in May 2022 at The Pittsburgh Marathon. For me, running will always remind me of my grandmother, and that first marathon perfectly captured the essence of the battles that each person faces. It serves as a great reminder that we are all running our own marathons in life.
Over the next couple of years, I became quite involved in the Pittsburgh running scene, including working with fellow ambassadors for P3R and participating in all of their races throughout the year. I helped to drive hundreds of registrations for races like the Pittsburgh Marathon, and I embraced and helped to foster growth within my communities. Along the way, I discovered trail running and the world of ultra running and continued to find ways to balance running with medical training in both residency and fellowship. In 2023, I ran my first ultramarathon and have since completed five ultramarathons ranging from the 50K to 100K distances. Although I now enjoy endurance events greatly, I still frequently participate in many local 5Ks and other shorter distance races.
The journey has not always been easy. I have encountered several injuries since I started running, but each one has taught me more about myself and made me more resilient. No running journey is perfectly linear, and many of us experience setbacks at one point or another. I find that it is in these moments that you often discover who you are and recognize how valuable it is to have family, friends, and community to lean on.
As a sports medicine physician now living and practicing in the DFW area, I find myself connecting with runners and athletes of all sports on a daily basis. In working with people ranging from weekend warriors and recreational runners all the way to elite athletes, I am able to draw from my knowledge and unique experiences to create shared plans with my patients and their families to help them overcome their injuries and obstacles. I strive to get my patients back to doing what they love, and my running experiences have shaped my perspective in a way that allows me to better serve those whom I care for from both a professional and humanistic level.
Running has changed my life for the better, and it has provided me with opportunities I never would have imagined would be possible. Over the past few years, I have had the chance serve as an ambassador for various entities, including Brooks Running, SaltStick, and Hüma. This has blessed me with numerous friendships and helped me find a sense of belonging in communities that are diverse, encouraging, and supportive. I always say that running is incredible because it is a universal language that unites people from all kinds of backgrounds in a way that few other experiences can. The running community is one that keeps many people going and helps them to stay motivated and true to themselves. It doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, fast or slow, new or experienced. If you run, you are a runner. As I continue to learn and grow even more as a content creator, as well as a runner now based in the DFW area, I hope to continue sharing my own journey to help inspire others to chase their dreams and begin their own journeys.
At the crux of it all, joy is my ultimate “why” for running and embodies all of the other reasons I run. To me, joy is the greatest emotion because it resonates with our sense of self-identity and meaning. Looking forward, I hope that as I continue running throughout my life, I can inspire others to run for the joy of it!
