Jeannette Dieterich
Willowick, OH
My Why
Years ago, my middle son, Anthony (aka Tony), drew a picture of his momma sitting at the dining table with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other for a school project. Knowing this is how my children see their Mom was a punch to the gut. Realizing I was going nowhere fast, I put down the Miller Lites and signed up for my first 5k in 2010. Needless to say, I found a healthy new lifestyle, and the rest is history.
Fast forward to April 2024, I lost Tony to suicide. Although not as a result of addiction, it is important to me to run in his honor as he was the one to point mine out to me. Tony, as well as my other two children, have always supported my running. Running the Boston Marathon in his honor will be another step as I move forward, whether it be grief or re-learning to not rely on alcohol to get through difficult times.
