Meet the TCS New York City Marathon Team supporting GGRF!
Hi, I’m Beti!
I am running the NYC marathon this year for Team GGRF!
Somewhere in Ethiopia there is a girl just as hard working as me with the same love for learning and running. She is probably a lot smarter and a lot faster. While I am receiving the education of my dreams and training for the marathon of my dreams, she isn’t. A big reason why I am able to is because of scholarships I received that brought me to the US and got me through college and now medical school. I believe in investing in young girls because I know the opportunities we are given early in life change our trajectory. I want to share my story and my marathon training journey while simultaneously raising money for Girls Gotta Run Foundation!
Hi, I’m Leah!
I have always sought out ways to connect with and support other women. Growing up with a strong, resilient mom, aunts, and sisters, I have experienced the benefits of feeling empowered by women from a young age.
Representing Girls Gotta Run Foundation in the NYC Marathon this fall will be particularly meaningful to me because I have been a long distance runner since I was a young girl. I ran my first 5k in second grade with my dad, and I later joined the track and cross country teams at my middle school, high school, and college. Some of my most cherished memories are from the times I spent training with my teammates at college. I learned how much confidence can be fostered through running alongside women. The experience of running with my teammates has undeniably been the most incredible feeling as a woman athlete, and I would be honored to fundraise for a foundation that prioritizes empowering young women through education, running, and community.
Hi, I’m Maria H!
I am a mother of 3 and a special education teacher from Texas! Distance running is my solace. It energizes and decompresses me. It is the time that empowers me and makes me feel the best version of myself.
This is my first marathon and I am running to support Girls Gotta Run Foundation!
Girls Gotta Run Foundation is a non-profit organization that invests in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities. Every girl deserves the opportunity to thrive and be the best version of themselves. The education, healthcare, family support, and athletic opportunities that are provided for these girls is a basic right and we have the opportunity to help them obtain this!
Hi, I’m Maria S!
For years, I have dreamed of running a marathon and in recent years, I hoped to run the NYC Marathon. This moment makes me think of all the people who have supported me and helped me accomplish many things. As I prepare to reach this goal, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to run for the Girls Gotta Run Foundation because the funds raised will be invested in the future of young girls who will one day have the chance to reach their goals and help others along the way.
Hi, I’m Rachel!
Running has always been my favorite outlet for my mental and physical health, especially staying healthy and confident through youth and after. By creating a healthy life for myself I've also been able to climb the corporate ladder and have grown my career exponentially since college. I think it's so important to give back! Being able to empower girls in Ethiopia through running and education, the two most important pillars of health and happiness in my own life, and to raise money for Girls Gotta Run Foundation will be incredible.
Hi, I’m Zeny!
Running has transformed my life. I started running 12 years ago -- after countless years of saying it wasn't for me -- I quickly discovered it was my new-found form of therapy, a source of joy, relief, and it helped me process grief after my father's passing. I picked up running around the time my father became ill and was lucky enough to get a couple of good runs in with him -- he could go a lot further than me at the time! On his 60th birthday -- the last we celebrated together-- I made a surprise trip home, and as a family, we laced up and went for a run by the San Francisco Bay. It wasn't until he lost his untimely battle with Glioblastoma -- a highly aggressive brain tumor -- that I would realize how impactful that last run together was. Running became more than a workout, it would turn into a necessity for me and a way to feel closer and spiritually connected to my guardian angel.
Why Girls Gotta Run Foundation?
Growing up as a first-gen Ethiopian-American, there were not many public figures in American culture who shared a similar identity, so I turned to the long distance runners from Ethiopia. When we were younger, my parents would buy us posters of some of the greatest Ethiopian female runners like Fatuma Roba and Derartu Tulu to hang in our room. At that time, it was some of the only positive depictions we saw in the US media of Ethiopians. We'd wake up early in the morning to watch Ethiopians run in marathons across the world and yell at the television with passion and pride. For many in Ethiopia, running is so much more than a sport, it is a pathway to obtaining more opportunities. Girls Gotta Run Foundation is the only nonprofit in Ethiopia leveraging running as a means for empowering and educating women and their community,
Why Now?
In October it will be a decade since my father passed. He dedicated his life to building for others and creating opportunities for fellow Ethiopians, and I couldn't think of a better way to honor his legacy in the city that has changed my life.