On May 24th, I’ll be standing at the start line of the Cape Town, South Africa Marathon running for something much bigger than a finish time.
 

Two summers ago, I participated in a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Extreme Hike - 24 miles from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I went in thinking it would be a physical challenge. It turned into something entirely different.
 

I met families living with cystic fibrosis. I heard stories of daily treatments, small victories, and enormous resilience. I also heard a lot about hope - about how research and new therapies are changing lives because of the work the CF Foundation funds.
 

Not long after, the individual I completed that hike in honor of lost her battle with CF.
 

That’s when it stopped being just inspiring and became deeply personal. The progress is real, but so is the urgency. Too many families are still living between breakthroughs, hoping the next advancement comes in time.
 

So this marathon is for them.
 

The early mornings, training miles, and sore legs are temporary. Families facing CF don’t get an off-season. If running 26.2 miles can help move research forward, then every mile matters.
 

I’m running so that one day treatments become cures.
So hope arrives sooner.
So no family has to walk this road again.
 

If you’re able, I’d be grateful for your support - not for me, but for the families living this reality every day.
 

Together, we can help make cystic fibrosis history.