I was always an athlete; basketball was my sport of choice and I thought running was crazy. In 2009, right before I was about to turn 40, my neighbors convinced me to run with them one Saturday morning and we ran 3 miles. I couldn’t believe it. So….I signed up for the Disney Marathon in January 2010 and informed my brother he was going to do it with me! We had no clue but we did it. My neighbor suggested I try a half and actually train for it, so I did and completed that in October 2010, saying “I’m never doing that again”, but I did it again the next year. Then a friend suggested we complete 5 Rock and Roll half marathons in a year, so we did that in 2012. By the end of 2019, I had completed 3 full marathons and 74 half marathons….I was hooked.
So why am I running for the Herren Project? Because addiction has touched my life and family and it took my very first hero away from me at 15 years old. God knew this was my way to get in to the Boston Marathon. I ran into an “Ambassador” of Herren Project during one of my halves who connected me with the organization and I knew this was it. I heard Chris Herren speak at Furman University in 2010 or so, and I knew this was my in and I had to apply! I appreciated Chris’ honesty and direct approach to education and conversations in and around addiction. I connected with him as an athlete and a basketball player. I have watched his message evolve and his impact expand and I am grateful to have the opportunity to run this historic race and support this awesome organization!
Donate toward Leigh Ann’s Boston Marathon 2020 campaign
