I’m running so athletes with special needs always have a place on the team!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for being here.

This March, I’m running the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon to support RallyCap Sports, an incredible organization that creates sports opportunities for children and young adults with special needs.

Here’s why this matters so much to me:

As a speech-language pathologist, I work every day with children with special needs. I see firsthand how hard they work to communicate, to participate, and to be included. I know how powerful it is when someone finally feels supported and part of a team. That’s exactly what RallyCap Sports provides through inclusive, adaptive sports programs.

Sports aren’t just games. They’re where confidence grows, friendships form, and someone feels brave or proud or unstoppable for the very first time. But for athletes with special needs, those opportunities aren’t always available or accessible, and that’s not okay.

RallyCap Sports changes that.

They create programs that empower athletes of all abilities to show up, have fun, and belong. Not on the sidelines. Not as spectators. On the field, right where they should be.

Everyone deserves that feeling. The rush of joy, the high-fives, the cheers from the sideline, the moment where you realize:

I can do this.

I am part of something.

I matter here.

That’s what I’m running for. Every mile I train, every early morning I drag myself out of bed, every time I doubt I can do this, I think of the athletes RallyCap supports and how they show up with so much heart. If they can push past barriers every single day, I can certainly run for them.

Your support directly helps make these programs possible:

• Adaptive Sports Equipment – Equipment like adaptive soccer balls that make noise so a person with a visual impairment can score a goal
• Facility Fees – Helps each chapter rent the spaces they need to put on sports programs
• Scholarships – Ensures no athlete is turned away because of their financial situation
• Expansion – Helps open new RallyCap Sports programs in communities across the country
• Volunteer Training – Provides training and materials for the volunteers who make each program possible
• Trophies – Celebrates every athlete’s achievements and encourages them with their very own trophy at the end of the season

When you donate, you’re not just giving money. You’re giving an athlete the chance to be seen, to be celebrated, to feel proud, to make friends, and to know they belong. You’re helping create moments of joy and confidence that last a lifetime.

I am running for every athlete who has ever been left on the sidelines. I am running for inclusion, for opportunity, for courage, and for joy. I am running to make sure every athlete knows they matter, that their effort matters, and that they are capable of incredible things.

With your support, we can change lives. We can open doors, break down barriers, and ensure that sports are a place where everyone belongs. Together, we can make this happen. Let’s show that inclusion, courage, and joy are unstoppable.

Thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me and to every athlete who gets to play because of you.