21st; 2022 TCS New York City Marathon

My mom and dad are Deb and Bill, and I have a younger sister named Kelsey. We also have an adopted, dashing Cowboy Corgi (blue heeler/corgi mix) named Winston.

I ran in my high school, opted to not run collegiately and didn't start running consistently until I moved to Seattle and started working full-time after undergraduate graduation in 2020. Running started as a great outlet to explore the area and relieve stress but quickly turned into a staple activity. I liked making demonstrable progress, and few things are as addicting as seeing your PRs get faster and faster. While training for the OTQ in 2023, I ran in 15 cities across 11 countries: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Taipei, Tokyo, London, New York City, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Berlin, Indianapolis, Bentonville, AR; Sioux Falls, SD; and Sacramento.

My first time running the TCS New York City Marathon in 2021. The race was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so there was a lot of pent-up excitement and energy. From the moment the gun went off in Staten Island, the air was electric and positive vibes radiated throughout the city. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced — a total block party for 26.2 miles. Things then got even crazier a few miles into the race, as I somehow ended up running in a group with some popular members of the NYC running community and Shalane Flanagan (the 2017 female winner!!). The miles clicked off effortlessly, and I crossed the line with an unexpected 7-minute PR and wishing that the race didn't have to end.