Hi! Thanks for reading my blog. To all the other future racers, I can't wait to meet you all! To my family and friends, I hope this blog will be a way you can come along with me on this journey. I'll try my best to share stories, photos and videos as often as possible.
So my first assignment as an official World Race blogger is to write my bio, so here's a little info on me. I was born and raised in Emporia, Kansas. Since graduating from the University of Kansas, I've lived on both the West and East Coasts, but am still a Midwest girl at heart!
I have the most amazing family in the world. My parents, Mark and Wendy, are my role models and my biggest supporters. My little sisters, Leslie and Jenna, are two of the coolest people I know and I am going to miss them so much.
I have been blessed with great friends as well, and have met so many cool people all over the country. My friendships from college, especially with my Gamma Phi sisters, USATF friends from Indy, and Oregon and Philadelphia friends all mean so much to me. My closest friends though are still my girlfriends I grew up with in Emporia. Sad I'll have to miss Hanna's wedding while on the Race.
One of the most important people in my life, and one of the hardest to leave for 11 months, is my boyfriend Caleb. Not sure I would have been brave enough to apply for the Race without his encouragement and support.
I just finished graduate school at La Salle University, where I currently work in fundraising. I love Philly, but am really looking forward to spending a month or so at home for the holidays before I launch in January.
Some fun facts about me: I've ran four marathons, my favorite color is pink, the best day of my life is when KU won the NCAA title my senior year, I have a huge crush on Peyton Manning, I teach yoga and kickboxing, I thrive on change, The Bachelor series is my guilty pleasure, I could eat Mexican food everyday, I have a slight obsession with New York City, I have a fear of ketchup, I wish I could meet Jennifer Aniston, I enjoy cooking and reading in my free time, and love me some country music.
More about why I am doing the World Race in a future blog, but my bio wouldn't be complete without mentioning my complete love for Jesus! I grew up in the Methodist church but attend an amazing non-denominational church here in Philadelphia called Epic Church. Epic has really challenged and encouraged me to make Christ the leader of my life and to grow in my faith.
I heard about the World Race almost a year ago, and it has always been something in the back of my mind that I really wanted to do because I love traveling and have a heart for mission work. I first discovered my passion for mission trips in college through trips to Mexico with Wesley KU. This summer I was blessed with an opportunity to lead a group of La Salle students on a trip to Guatemala. It was SUCH an amazing experience and where I realized that God was definitely calling me to go on the World Race. Check out the video below.
I know God is going to do BIG things in my life through the World Race. It wont' be easy, but I know I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!
