Early this year, my friend Jill invited me to train with her to walk the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. She had previously run the half marathon for Team Rise supporting the Phoenix Society, an amazing organization benefiting burn survivors. Team RISE was formed by the Everett family and has brought family and friends together for six years to run in the Flying Pig marathon to raise money for the Phoenix Society providing opportunities for burn victims to receive peer support programs like World Burn Congress and other burn recovery resources. I had never participated in an event like this before and I though it was a great goal to set for myself and it was for a fantastic cause. I spent any free time I could carve out walking. I bought a cool tracker for my mp3 player, downloaded some fast music and started logging the miles. I walked with my four-legged training partner, Rory and with Jill. We had a lot of fun laughing and crying during our training sessions. I’m pretty sure I came close to passing out during one particularly hilarious adventure. I even had to call my mom to come and pick us up because we were 3 miles from my car and I just couldn’t walk any further. I’m sure Jill was beginning to wish she could retract her offer, but she was stuck with me.
Post-race Hugs & Smiles!
The day came for us to drive to Cincinnati and meet the rest of our team. We arrived at the welcome dinner and met Sharon Everett who inspired the team. It is not a cliché to say she is one of the most amazing women I have ever met in my life. Her strength, grace and sheer will are overwhelming to me. I was, and am, in awe of her.
Sharon Everett was arriving home with pool chemicals in the back of her car. The chemicals mixed and she was literally engulfed in flames when they exploded. By some strange coincidence her neighbor had their garden hose in the front yard and he was able to try and fight the flames until the fire department arrived. She was trapped in the car and severely burned. She is missing fingers and facial hair and has significant scars from the multitude of surgeries necessary to save her life. But she has not lost her beauty or her courage. Her presence is powerful and her voice, uplifting. I knew after meeting her, walking 13.1 miles would be easy!
The next morning, I was worried about Jill. She wasn’t feeling well and hadn’t slept well. We decided we wouldn’t worry about keeping up with each other and we headed out into the downpour and started the race. After getting passed by runners for the first few miles, we set a good pace.
Don't Stop...you're almost there...the "Finish Swine"!
For those of you not familiar with the Flying Pig, they do an amazing job organizing the event. At each mile there are water and Gatorade stations. They even have entertainment or groups encouraging you along the way. There were local sports teams cheering us in addition to a barbershop quartet, an Elvis impersonator and a funk band.
After the rain, more rain, and still more rain, the sun finally came out and I finished the race several minutes after Jill. It was an amazing feeling. I was proud of myself for doing it and I was proud to walk for an amazing cause. I will do it again next year and many more years to come. Thank you Jill and thank you Team Rise and the Phoenix Society. I am a better person for the experience.
For more information about Team Rise and the Phoenix Society, please visit www.phoenix-society.org. Please contact the Phoenix Society at 800-888-2876 if you are interested in being a part of this event! Also check out the Flying Pig Marathon website for more details on the race!
A question asked most often, "Why the Flying Pig?"
We encourage you to run with us this April in Columbus, Ohio for the OSU Burn Center’s second annual family friendly Blaze the Trail 5K walk/run in honor of the Christine Wilson Foundation, as well as joining me and the rest of Team Rise next year, for the 13th Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday, May 1, 2011, to run for a great cause.
About the Author: Melissa is the mother of 2 active boys and owner of FourMeter Project Management, Inc. with her husband of 12 years, Michael. She enjoys traveling, the Ohio State Buckeyes and learning more about educating children with special needs including hearing loss, ADHD and dyslexia. Melissa loves walking, reading and volunteering for charities that benefit children, the Homeless Families Foundation, as well as promoting fire prevention and education initiatives. Melissa is also a Board Member of the Live Safe Foundation.
