Running has been a lifeline for me — a way to find strength, peace, and purpose through some of life’s darkest seasons.

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I began running after years of struggling with my own mental health — challenges that started as early as childhood and carried into adulthood. I’ve also witnessed loved ones battle their own pain. Those experiences have shaped who I am and why I choose to speak openly about mental health today.

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In 2022, I ran the Boston Marathon with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to honor how far I’d come in my own journey and to help others know they are not alone in theirs. My mission then, as now, has been to tell my story, raise awareness, and help end the stigma surrounding mental health. Through years of advocacy, volunteering, and community involvement, I’ve seen the incredible impact that compassion and conversation can have.

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This year, as I approach my 50th birthday, I’m running the Boston Marathon once again — this time for Rebekah’s Angels Foundation, an organization that provides therapy for children and families healing from trauma. While my previous runs honored how far I have come in my battle with darkness as an adult, this one is for "little Melissa", who also struggled — and for every child who deserves the chance to heal, grow, and believe in their own strength.

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Running has given me hope, and through this journey, I want to give that same hope back to others.

Please consider supporting my efforts and helping provide children and families impacted by trauma with critical services and support.