Federal Hill
Reading Time: 15 minutes
“If you want to run, just run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run 4,000+ miles!” – I.H. It is surreal that – by the time of writing – the 4K finished about 1.5 weeks ago. An event that meant so much for me, and my team, that words cannot even start to describe the overwhelming feelings and emotions that came with finishing 4346.1 miles on Federal Hill in Baltimore that Saturday August 3rd. On one hand, it feels like yesterday that we all met each other for the first time in this one classroom in San Francisco because time seems to fly when you have fun. | 🇺🇸 Baltimore (MD), United States of America |
In my head, I keep thinking it is June until the calendar hits me in the face once again. On the other hand, it feels like a lifetime. All we have seen, created, and experienced in 49 incredible days was so much that I cannot imagine it was only seven weeks long that I traveled and ran across this amazing country with a team of 20 other inspiring individuals.
Click on the "Read More" button to read the full post
Click on the "Read More" button to read the full post
Before I give too much away, I would just encourage you to keep reading. Be open-minded and get in the life of a 4K runner, a Forrest Gumper, an ultra-marathoner, and (re)experience our last week on the 4K for Cancer Team Baltimore with me:
DAY 43 ⠀
Canton, OH ➡️ Youngstown, OH ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 9.6 km (6 miles) ⠀
🛤Team mileage: 82 km (51 miles) ⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 1,759 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Morgan⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Coach Sano, Kelly Fernandez, and Danike⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Sierra, Vinny, Angela,
and Cynthia Rogers⠀
⠀
Today, Mo and I got to run with an extra (two) teammates every leg we ran. We only had to run three 2 mile (3.2 kilometers) legs, but it was quite an eventful day. We also got to visit our 7th national park of the trip: Cuyahoga Valley National Park! We spotted a beautiful waterfall and hiked a small mile loop. Once back in Youngstown, we finally had our talent-show! Lauren and I got to roll our belly’s as bellydancers, haha. 💃 ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Cynthia: ⠀
Ashley Roger: “My mom had cancer 5 different times over the past 9 years. Everytime it has been breast cancer that emastisized to something else, her pancreas, spine, etc. She was an engineer all here life up until not being allowed to work anymore. She has lost all feeling below her waist. In June she went under hospice care and had to be put on oxygen.” Praying and running for Cynthia today 💛
Canton, OH ➡️ Youngstown, OH ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 9.6 km (6 miles) ⠀
🛤Team mileage: 82 km (51 miles) ⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 1,759 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Morgan⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Coach Sano, Kelly Fernandez, and Danike⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Sierra, Vinny, Angela,
and Cynthia Rogers⠀
⠀
Today, Mo and I got to run with an extra (two) teammates every leg we ran. We only had to run three 2 mile (3.2 kilometers) legs, but it was quite an eventful day. We also got to visit our 7th national park of the trip: Cuyahoga Valley National Park! We spotted a beautiful waterfall and hiked a small mile loop. Once back in Youngstown, we finally had our talent-show! Lauren and I got to roll our belly’s as bellydancers, haha. 💃 ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Cynthia: ⠀
Ashley Roger: “My mom had cancer 5 different times over the past 9 years. Everytime it has been breast cancer that emastisized to something else, her pancreas, spine, etc. She was an engineer all here life up until not being allowed to work anymore. She has lost all feeling below her waist. In June she went under hospice care and had to be put on oxygen.” Praying and running for Cynthia today 💛
DAY 44 ⠀
Youngstown, OH ➡️ Pittsburgh, PA ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 12.8 km (8 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 123 km (77 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 4815 ft⠀
👭Running buddy: ⠀
Tyler & Brie⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Prof. Riefler, Robin D’haene, and Mom & Dad⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey, Danny, Sharona & Bryce van Leeuwen,
Amanda, Maaike, and Ruka’s Dad⠀
⠀
Wow - Pittsburgh really is the city of bridges and Pennsylvania is really the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Crushed some serious, steep hills with Brie & Tyler today on our 8 mile run from Youngstown. Haven’t seen many of those since Colorado/Kansas, haha. Thanks to your donations, we will be able to give away a scholarship tonight at our community dinner to a young adult affected by cancer! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Ruka’s Dad: ⠀
Ruka: “My dad is a two time cancer survivor. He was a runner growing up. He took me to my first track practice when I was 10 years old and I fell in love with the sport. We shared the same passion for running and that’s why 4k was so special for me last year! He lives by the quote, seize the day, “carpe diem”. Everyday on 4k last year he would text me at 4:30am saying seize the day! He used to always text/ tell me that before every race during my running career.” Ruka ran with Team Baltimore in 2018 and I had the honor of meeting her in San Fran that summer! ⠀
Youngstown, OH ➡️ Pittsburgh, PA ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 12.8 km (8 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 123 km (77 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 4815 ft⠀
👭Running buddy: ⠀
Tyler & Brie⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Prof. Riefler, Robin D’haene, and Mom & Dad⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey, Danny, Sharona & Bryce van Leeuwen,
Amanda, Maaike, and Ruka’s Dad⠀
⠀
Wow - Pittsburgh really is the city of bridges and Pennsylvania is really the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Crushed some serious, steep hills with Brie & Tyler today on our 8 mile run from Youngstown. Haven’t seen many of those since Colorado/Kansas, haha. Thanks to your donations, we will be able to give away a scholarship tonight at our community dinner to a young adult affected by cancer! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Ruka’s Dad: ⠀
Ruka: “My dad is a two time cancer survivor. He was a runner growing up. He took me to my first track practice when I was 10 years old and I fell in love with the sport. We shared the same passion for running and that’s why 4k was so special for me last year! He lives by the quote, seize the day, “carpe diem”. Everyday on 4k last year he would text me at 4:30am saying seize the day! He used to always text/ tell me that before every race during my running career.” Ruka ran with Team Baltimore in 2018 and I had the honor of meeting her in San Fran that summer! ⠀
DAY 45 ⠀
📍 Pittsburgh, PA ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 (rest day)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 0⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: NA⠀
👭Running buddy: NA⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Marie Kroon, Angele, and Samara Schratz⠀
💕Today I dedicate to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen⠀
⠀
Wow, we had our last rest day today, which means we only have 4 more running days including our last 20 miles into Baltimore this Saturday. Can’t believe this journey is about to end, especially after working so hard to be here the last 2 years. Exploring downtown Pittsburgh was a lot of fun and I am so thankful for the Christ Lutheran church who was able to host and provide us meals on a 3-day notice! ⠀
📍 Pittsburgh, PA ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 (rest day)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 0⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: NA⠀
👭Running buddy: NA⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Marie Kroon, Angele, and Samara Schratz⠀
💕Today I dedicate to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen⠀
⠀
Wow, we had our last rest day today, which means we only have 4 more running days including our last 20 miles into Baltimore this Saturday. Can’t believe this journey is about to end, especially after working so hard to be here the last 2 years. Exploring downtown Pittsburgh was a lot of fun and I am so thankful for the Christ Lutheran church who was able to host and provide us meals on a 3-day notice! ⠀
DAY 46 ⠀
Pittsburgh, PA ➡️ Cumberland, MD ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 (host van)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 174 km (109 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 9,415 feet⠀
👭Host buddy: Lauren⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Christiaan Hertog, Lawrence A., and Nichole H.⠀
💕Today I dedicate to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Alexus, Karen, Nancy, Lydia,
and Doug Ulman⠀
⠀
Today felt like a quick day as Lauren and I were chosen for our last “host van day” and therefore could sleep in. We didn’t need any more food donations with only 3 more days to come, so we had brunch at Bob Evans and stopped at Fort Necessity on our way to mountainous Cumberland - what a beautiful and adorable city! It reminds me a lot to Haarlem, my hometown. State number 14 in the pocket: Maryland! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Doug Ulman: ⠀
Doug Ulman, 40, is a three-time cancer survivor, and the founder of his own nonprofit, The Ulman Foundation. I had the honor of meeting him twice in the past year with the 4K in Columbus, OH. His first cancer diagnosis, chondrosarcoma, came at 19 as he started his sophomore year at Brown University while playing varsity soccer. He beat it— and has since battled and beat malignant melanoma twice. As a young adult with cancer, he noted a significant lack of resources. He founded The Ulman Foundation in 1997 as a way to create community and raise awareness for young adults with cancer. ⠀
Pittsburgh, PA ➡️ Cumberland, MD ⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 (host van)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 174 km (109 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 9,415 feet⠀
👭Host buddy: Lauren⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Christiaan Hertog, Lawrence A., and Nichole H.⠀
💕Today I dedicate to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Alexus, Karen, Nancy, Lydia,
and Doug Ulman⠀
⠀
Today felt like a quick day as Lauren and I were chosen for our last “host van day” and therefore could sleep in. We didn’t need any more food donations with only 3 more days to come, so we had brunch at Bob Evans and stopped at Fort Necessity on our way to mountainous Cumberland - what a beautiful and adorable city! It reminds me a lot to Haarlem, my hometown. State number 14 in the pocket: Maryland! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Doug Ulman: ⠀
Doug Ulman, 40, is a three-time cancer survivor, and the founder of his own nonprofit, The Ulman Foundation. I had the honor of meeting him twice in the past year with the 4K in Columbus, OH. His first cancer diagnosis, chondrosarcoma, came at 19 as he started his sophomore year at Brown University while playing varsity soccer. He beat it— and has since battled and beat malignant melanoma twice. As a young adult with cancer, he noted a significant lack of resources. He founded The Ulman Foundation in 1997 as a way to create community and raise awareness for young adults with cancer. ⠀
DAY 47 ⠀
Cumberland, MD ➡️ Berkeley Springs, WV⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 9.6 km (6 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 88 km (55 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 5125 ft⠀
👭Running buddy: Katelyn⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Prof. Dale Masel, The Buckey Family, and Seth Warden⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Howard,
and David Sewell (#SewellStrong) ⠀
⠀
Being back in the (Appalachian) Mountains is am amazing addition to the scenery, but not so much the running, haha. Katelyn and I had some rough hills and in only 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) we covered over 600 feet (200 meters) in elevation gain! Only 1 more day until Federal Hill and the haunting 20 miles (31 kilometers) into Baltimore 😧⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Mr. Sewell: ⠀
Anna: “My dad has been fighting cancer over about a year. Unfortunately, his cancer is now stage 4 in his lungs and a small spot in his back. But he’s doing really well for now! He’ll be doing immunotherapy for at least two more years and we go to appointments at least every three weeks. It’s ironic that today is for him - he’s actually leaving on a motorcycle trip and he and his friend are riding their motorcycles from OKC to South Dakota. He’s definitely not letting cancer get in the way of having fun and enjoying life!” Anna ran the 4K with team New York in 2018. ⠀
Cumberland, MD ➡️ Berkeley Springs, WV⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 9.6 km (6 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 88 km (55 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 5125 ft⠀
👭Running buddy: Katelyn⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Prof. Dale Masel, The Buckey Family, and Seth Warden⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Howard,
and David Sewell (#SewellStrong) ⠀
⠀
Being back in the (Appalachian) Mountains is am amazing addition to the scenery, but not so much the running, haha. Katelyn and I had some rough hills and in only 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) we covered over 600 feet (200 meters) in elevation gain! Only 1 more day until Federal Hill and the haunting 20 miles (31 kilometers) into Baltimore 😧⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Mr. Sewell: ⠀
Anna: “My dad has been fighting cancer over about a year. Unfortunately, his cancer is now stage 4 in his lungs and a small spot in his back. But he’s doing really well for now! He’ll be doing immunotherapy for at least two more years and we go to appointments at least every three weeks. It’s ironic that today is for him - he’s actually leaving on a motorcycle trip and he and his friend are riding their motorcycles from OKC to South Dakota. He’s definitely not letting cancer get in the way of having fun and enjoying life!” Anna ran the 4K with team New York in 2018. ⠀
DAY 48 ⠀
Berkeley Springs, WV ➡️ Columbia, MD⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.2 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 181 km (113 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 7,258 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Katie⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Chelsea, Jordan, and Becca ⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Sammy, Dianne, and Lindsey van Zeijl⠀
⠀
Homebound... we are on our last road to Baltimore this weekend. We had 12 individual miles yesterdsy and then 20 miles more today to bring us to our loved ones in downtown. Had the hilliest day of the journey, but Katie and I crushed it including a 6% for 0.6 miles (1 kilometers). Saw a lot of alive and dead wildlife too today, such as a skull and a couple of deer and even a skunk! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Lindsey: ⠀
Lindsey: “Ik ben 22 jaar en ik woon in Amsterdam, Nederland. Ik heb de zeldzame ziekte TRAPS, een auto-inflammatoire systeem ziekte, met de mutatie R92Q. TRAPS houd in dat je van de kleinste dingen zoals een erg ziek kan worden. Als kind had ik vaak lastige klachten die dan leken op bijvoorbeeld leukemie, maar dat was het niet. Ook heb ik vanaf mijn geboorte al flinke darmproblemen. Toen ging m'n kinderarts naar Amerika, voor congres, daar kwam ze in aanraking met TRAPS. Ik heb allerlei hulpmiddelen, zoals een stoma omdat mijn dikke darm eruit is en een maagsonde met voeding omdat mijn dunne darm en maag ook niet meer goed werken. Ik snap dat als je dit leest dat je denkt 'nou, wat een negatief persoon', maar dat ben ik niet. Het verhaal is negatief, maar ik ben niet mijn verhaal.”⠀
Berkeley Springs, WV ➡️ Columbia, MD⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.2 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 181 km (113 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 7,258 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Katie⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Chelsea, Jordan, and Becca ⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Sammy, Dianne, and Lindsey van Zeijl⠀
⠀
Homebound... we are on our last road to Baltimore this weekend. We had 12 individual miles yesterdsy and then 20 miles more today to bring us to our loved ones in downtown. Had the hilliest day of the journey, but Katie and I crushed it including a 6% for 0.6 miles (1 kilometers). Saw a lot of alive and dead wildlife too today, such as a skull and a couple of deer and even a skunk! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Lindsey: ⠀
Lindsey: “Ik ben 22 jaar en ik woon in Amsterdam, Nederland. Ik heb de zeldzame ziekte TRAPS, een auto-inflammatoire systeem ziekte, met de mutatie R92Q. TRAPS houd in dat je van de kleinste dingen zoals een erg ziek kan worden. Als kind had ik vaak lastige klachten die dan leken op bijvoorbeeld leukemie, maar dat was het niet. Ook heb ik vanaf mijn geboorte al flinke darmproblemen. Toen ging m'n kinderarts naar Amerika, voor congres, daar kwam ze in aanraking met TRAPS. Ik heb allerlei hulpmiddelen, zoals een stoma omdat mijn dikke darm eruit is en een maagsonde met voeding omdat mijn dunne darm en maag ook niet meer goed werken. Ik snap dat als je dit leest dat je denkt 'nou, wat een negatief persoon', maar dat ben ik niet. Het verhaal is negatief, maar ik ben niet mijn verhaal.”⠀
DAY 49 ⠀
Columbia, MD ➡️ Baltimore, MD⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 32 km (20 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 32 km (20 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 901 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Team Baltimore⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Piet & José Hartman, Karynne Baker, and Maddie Sloat⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey & Jessica van Leeuwen, Day 1-48,
and Team Baltimore 2019⠀
⠀
Sorry for the 3-day delay, but WE MADE IT TO BALTIMORE! 💙💛 Four-thousand three-hundred and forty six point one miles and forty nine days later brought us from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Federal Hill in Baltimore. I ran through 14 states and 7 national parks with 20 teammates, 10 rest & service days, and 3 pairs of running shoes to raise $9,500 for the 4K for Cancer and the Ulman Foundation in support of young adults fighting cancer. ⠀
⠀
The last couple of days were physically exhausting, like running 20 very hilly miles, but mostly emotionally. I can’t believe I did all but one of the 2 mile (3.2 km) running legs these 49 days while recovering from post-concussion syndrome! I think I can call myself a runner now - and soon to be a PCS Survivor! 💪🏻⠀
⠀
About to take a social media break, other than updating the last 3 weeks to my blog, so I can focus on family & my transition to grad school. THANK YOU SO MUCH for supporting & following my 4K journey! 🦋⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Jessica: ⠀
My cousin Jessica is Leighton’s aunt and gave birth to her first child, Ize, last December. Only a couple weeks later, Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer while raising her first born... Jess is only a couple years older than me and it devastates me to see our family going through cancer again, a year after Leighton. She is currently going through her sixth treatment of chemo and immunotherapy and she is so, so strong! I admire Jessica so much and I always keep her in my prayers. “Sterkte topper”! ⠀
Columbia, MD ➡️ Baltimore, MD⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 32 km (20 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 32 km (20 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 901 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Team Baltimore⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Piet & José Hartman, Karynne Baker, and Maddie Sloat⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey & Jessica van Leeuwen, Day 1-48,
and Team Baltimore 2019⠀
⠀
Sorry for the 3-day delay, but WE MADE IT TO BALTIMORE! 💙💛 Four-thousand three-hundred and forty six point one miles and forty nine days later brought us from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Federal Hill in Baltimore. I ran through 14 states and 7 national parks with 20 teammates, 10 rest & service days, and 3 pairs of running shoes to raise $9,500 for the 4K for Cancer and the Ulman Foundation in support of young adults fighting cancer. ⠀
⠀
The last couple of days were physically exhausting, like running 20 very hilly miles, but mostly emotionally. I can’t believe I did all but one of the 2 mile (3.2 km) running legs these 49 days while recovering from post-concussion syndrome! I think I can call myself a runner now - and soon to be a PCS Survivor! 💪🏻⠀
⠀
About to take a social media break, other than updating the last 3 weeks to my blog, so I can focus on family & my transition to grad school. THANK YOU SO MUCH for supporting & following my 4K journey! 🦋⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Jessica: ⠀
My cousin Jessica is Leighton’s aunt and gave birth to her first child, Ize, last December. Only a couple weeks later, Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer while raising her first born... Jess is only a couple years older than me and it devastates me to see our family going through cancer again, a year after Leighton. She is currently going through her sixth treatment of chemo and immunotherapy and she is so, so strong! I admire Jessica so much and I always keep her in my prayers. “Sterkte topper”! ⠀
Total Stats after 7 Weeks:
🏃🏽♀️Total Personal Distance: 644.4 kilometers (403 miles)
🛤Total Team Distance: 6,953 kilometers (4,346.1 miles)
…And so I ended the 4K for Cancer 2019 and became an alumni of an organization that helped me grow so much on a personal level. Joining the Ulman Foundation was one of the saddest periods of my life because of my personal attachment to cancer with Leighton’s cancer diagnoses the same month I heard I got accepted to the running program. A program so meaningful that my participation and preparation for it even touched people’s lives in (of course) the Netherlands, but also Japan, Oman, Spain, England, Canada parts of South America and the United States because of my friends and connections all over the world. Seeing my friends and network purchase Leighton’s T-shirt (which I also raised $400 with!) in multiple of those countries and wear it proudly was just… speechless and it really touched me and my family.
My passion for the 4K during preparation and fundraising grew every day when a new story was shared with me by an individual who was (in)directly impacted by this terrible illness. Life can be so unfair, which you could have read in my previous blog posts when I dedicated multiple days to my (friend’s) loved ones who have passed while fighting their courageous battles. Speaking in front of hundreds of people over several month with the help of multiple organizations at Ohio University helped fuel the passion for the organization and anger against this disease. It helped me become confident in public speaking in a second language, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. A passion I emotionally shared with everyone along the way during those hard but blessed 403 personal miles (644.4 kilometers) that my feet took on in 14 different states from San Francisco to Baltimore. A distance and physical burden that is equal
4K, I owe you! You confirmed my love for running and athletics. You confirmed my love for socialism and working in teams. You confirmed my passion for non-profits and working with underprivileged communities. A vision I created since my travels to Africa in 2014. A dream I am ready to chase now at Virginia Tech while doing research on natural disasters as a civil engineer. Thank you once again, 4K, for seeing my “Worlds Collide”. I owe you so, so much. I really do and I can’t wait to continue my involvement as a 4K mentor for the 2020 trips!
Thanks everyone for following my journey of a lifetime! I am working on a video compilation, but HERE you can already watch my “3 seconds a day” video in case you missed that on Facebook : )
Lots of Love,
Illona.
Ps. My fundraising page is still accessible HERE till the end of the month to receive any donations you are willing to give. Thanks to you, I am less than $400 away from reaching my ultimate goal of $10,000 for the Ulman Foundation to help young adults fight cancer!
🏃🏽♀️Total Personal Distance: 644.4 kilometers (403 miles)
🛤Total Team Distance: 6,953 kilometers (4,346.1 miles)
…And so I ended the 4K for Cancer 2019 and became an alumni of an organization that helped me grow so much on a personal level. Joining the Ulman Foundation was one of the saddest periods of my life because of my personal attachment to cancer with Leighton’s cancer diagnoses the same month I heard I got accepted to the running program. A program so meaningful that my participation and preparation for it even touched people’s lives in (of course) the Netherlands, but also Japan, Oman, Spain, England, Canada parts of South America and the United States because of my friends and connections all over the world. Seeing my friends and network purchase Leighton’s T-shirt (which I also raised $400 with!) in multiple of those countries and wear it proudly was just… speechless and it really touched me and my family.
My passion for the 4K during preparation and fundraising grew every day when a new story was shared with me by an individual who was (in)directly impacted by this terrible illness. Life can be so unfair, which you could have read in my previous blog posts when I dedicated multiple days to my (friend’s) loved ones who have passed while fighting their courageous battles. Speaking in front of hundreds of people over several month with the help of multiple organizations at Ohio University helped fuel the passion for the organization and anger against this disease. It helped me become confident in public speaking in a second language, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. A passion I emotionally shared with everyone along the way during those hard but blessed 403 personal miles (644.4 kilometers) that my feet took on in 14 different states from San Francisco to Baltimore. A distance and physical burden that is equal
4K, I owe you! You confirmed my love for running and athletics. You confirmed my love for socialism and working in teams. You confirmed my passion for non-profits and working with underprivileged communities. A vision I created since my travels to Africa in 2014. A dream I am ready to chase now at Virginia Tech while doing research on natural disasters as a civil engineer. Thank you once again, 4K, for seeing my “Worlds Collide”. I owe you so, so much. I really do and I can’t wait to continue my involvement as a 4K mentor for the 2020 trips!
Thanks everyone for following my journey of a lifetime! I am working on a video compilation, but HERE you can already watch my “3 seconds a day” video in case you missed that on Facebook : )
Lots of Love,
Illona.
Ps. My fundraising page is still accessible HERE till the end of the month to receive any donations you are willing to give. Thanks to you, I am less than $400 away from reaching my ultimate goal of $10,000 for the Ulman Foundation to help young adults fight cancer!