Three of my friends – Nika, James, and Henry – are also running the United Airlines NYC Half and they encouraged me to run with them and T.E.A.L.®. I am so happy to be running for such a wonderful organization!
Prior to training for the United Airlines NYC Half, I was never a long distance runner but always wanted to try. I was always active but haven’t had an athletic goal in a while. Running the half seemed like the perfect way to try long distance running, work towards an athletic goal and make a charitable impact. My goal is to finish the race with my friends and feel that I did my best!
I train with my best friend. I love seeing the progress we have been making. I couldn’t run more than 4 miles this time last year. Now we finish an 8-mile run and it feels amazing. Just being able to share such a cool experience and getting so much stronger with a friend has been amazing.
If I had the power to change one thing related to ovarian cancer, I would want to spread more awareness about the disease itself. I think that there is not enough education about the signs and symptoms of ovarian and other cancers that are incredibly important to know. I wish women all had access to comprehensive medical care so that cases could be detected sooner (and this extends beyond ovarian cancer as well).
I hope that these fundraising efforts help at least one person. If even one woman can be helped from the money we raised during this half – whether this means early detection, help with medical care or finding a cure – it will be worth every mile.
You can help Maya reach her fundraising goal for the 2023 United Airlines NYC Half here. All donations go to Tell Every Amazing Lady® and help with the fight against ovarian cancer.
