Debbie moved to Brookline, MA in 1988 to be with friends (we were roommates initially) and close to family. At the time she was a recreational runner and ran an occasional 5 or 10k. In 1996 Debbie ran her first marathon, the 100th Boston Marathon via lottery. There were 40,000 runners and Debbie wanted to be a part of this historical event. While she finished, she was not happy with her time. She told her mother, “I didn’t train enough.”
Little did we know that Debbie would later relocate to NYC and take this race experience to another level. She joined the New York Flyers Running Club and was a very active member. With Central Park in her backyard, she could easily lead training runs in the early morning hours before going to work at her demanding job as a marketing executive. Her discipline and hardwork paid off as she improved her running time and encouraged others to do the same. Over the next couple of decades, she ran over 20 marathons spanning the globe. Breaking a 4-hour marathon in NYC was one of her biggest highlights as she qualified for Boston. When she didn’t gain entry into a race, she often raised money for a charity so that she could run. In 2013, she raised money for Parkinson’s Disease in memory of her dad who had recently passed away.
Like other marathoners, Debbie would often say …”this is my last one”. We often talked about running as being our therapy. “You know you can do it…just take it slow.” These are the encouraging words she spoke so many times whether about running, biking up Mt Ventoux, a relationship, or just about any of life’s challenges. Running wasn’t her only athletic pursuit; she expanded into triathlons and completed the Ironman in Lake Placid. She was a committed athlete who wanted to improve and worked tirelessly to do so.
Athleticism was just part of the picture. Debbie was a planner, efficient and so very giving. Her birthday card always was the first to arrive. She was the first to celebrate a new baby, volunteer at church, coach underprivileged kids running, or call when someone needed her. As her roommate for many years, I learned so much about myself through her generosity, kindness and forgiveness. After her death, I learned she was training a friend to run the Chicago Marathon. While waking up a 4 am to do a training run with a friend might be hard for some, it was just what Debbie did.
Words cannot express the sadness and shock I felt when I heard of her passing. How could this tragedy happen to an energetic, vivacious woman who was so giving and living her best life? It was clear to me that I wanted share Debbie’s essence as her life was cut short. My hope is this Fund will provide inspiration and strength to others and help keep Debbie’s spirit alive.
