We would like to start by telling you a little about us and how we have gotten to this point. Joe and I met at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Joe participated in the ROTC program there and I was an Accounting Major. When we both graduated Joe became an officer in the military. We married about two years after Joe graduated and traveled alot with the military. However, Joe was injured and medical boarded out of the military. We settled in North Carolina (Joe is originally from NJ and Melissa is originally from NY).
Joe has always been extremely active. I, Melissa, have struggled with it. To continue to be a stay-at-home mom I acquired a children's fitness business in 2003. I have always wanted to provide fitness activities for young children. Especially after reading an article in The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding "the significance of establishing a physically active lifestyle during the pediatric years; this is best achieved by exposing children to the enjoyment of physical exercise early. This strategy is based on the concept that health outcomes may relate more to the persistence of exercise throughout life rather than its quantity during the pediatric years."
Being busy parents of four children we both stuggled with eating well and fitting in proper exercise. The journey so far has been a bit overwhelming, but we are getting there. When our youngest daughter, Sophia now 2, turned three months we joined a gym and started running because that was the only thing that seemed to work.
We completed our first Half-Marathon in Cary, NC in May 2010. We made our official decision to both run the NYC Marathon and to go big and fundraise as well on Thanksgiving weekend. It was a time to be very thankful for what we have and what we are capable of and to give back in a big way.
We have set up our fundraising site and are starting this blog too. We want people to be able to keep up with our progress both through fundraising as well as the actual race preparation.
We have already made out hotel reservations. That alone was shell shock and I (Melissa) grew up in NY. Rest asured that not one penny raised will go towards our trip. All of those expenses are completely on us.
We are truly excited to begin this journey and hope to inspire many of you to pursue your own personal goals despite how big they seem. Please check back frequently to keep abreast of our training progress, fundraising status and events!
A quote to think about..."The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham
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