Everyone has a mental bucket list filled with “somedays”… someday I’ll go skydiving, someday I’ll go swimming with sharks, someday I’ll go on a safari, and so on. Ever since I watched my uncle run the New York City marathon in 2014, mine has included: someday I’ll run a marathon.
Those who know me know how important running has become to me since I started at Holy Cross. I impulsively signed up for a half-marathon training group my freshman year, and have not stopped running since.
Over Easter break this past spring, I was in the midst of training for my second half-marathon when my mother mentioned that the company she worked for was beginning to look for people to join their New York City marathon team. I was on the fence about joining and was heavily advised against it– taking care of yourself is already enough of a task in college, let alone taking care of yourself through marathon training.
What convinced me was a conversation with a family member of mine while the two of us broke off from the rest of our family to get dessert at Easter brunch. He told me having the desire to run a marathon is an amazing, special, and rare thing, so if I really wanted to do it I should go for it. I told my mom to sign me up as soon as we got back to the table.
Alas, I am proud to be running the New York City 2024 Marathon in approximately four weeks for Sunrise Day Camp. Sunrise is an organization created in 2006 and consists of 13 camps across the world for children with cancer and their siblings to attend for free all summer long.
The mission statement of Sunrise is “to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide. Sunrise accomplishes this through the creation and oversight of welcoming, inclusive summer day camps, year-round programs and in-hospital recreational activities, all offered free of charge.”
I have been to the Long Island Camp many times to volunteer and help out, and I have never been to a happier place on earth. It is such a loving and joyful environment that I am so honored to be a part of, and even more honored to be running the marathon for.
If you’re interested in supporting this cause and helping me reach my goal of $4,000, please donate here: https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/bridget-o-toole
I was expecting to feel exhausted and worn down during training, but on the contrary, I feel fantastic. This experience has reminded me of the importance of taking care of my body– eating well, stretching, and especially sleeping at least 8 hours a night.
It’s amazing to see what your body can do when you set your mind to it. Take this as your sign to start checking off your bucket list items now instead of waiting for someday!