Tag: marathon

Runner’s Spotlight: Our 2016 Marathon Superstars

What do marathons and the battle against illiteracy have in common? They both require unwavering commitment, consistency and endurance to successfully reach the finish line. The battle against illiteracy is definitely not a sprint, but a marathon steadily closing the achievement gap one student at a time.

Literacy Partners is proud to be an official charity partner of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon. The marathon provides a powerful platform for our passionate charity runners to raise funds and awareness to put towards our mission of empowering parents to create better futures for their families through literacy.

These superstars (that’s how we see them!) are collectively running to help break the cycle of poverty for New York City families through education.


Carrie Foster

carrie

Carrie Foster, who loves running and photography, joins us for her second TCS New York City Marathon. Her main goal for the race? To enjoy every moment of it!

What motivated you to run with Team Literacy Partners?

As a parent, and as a child of immigrants, I understand the need to improve language skills to aid in a child’s early intellectual development. Running for a charity gives me an extra push during my training runs.

Describe your training process for this marathon. How did you prepare?

Plenty of slow-mile progression with lots of rest.

Are you planning to run another marathon after this?

This is my final marathon. That is why I wanted my last marathon to be in NYC.

Donate to Carrie’s fundraising campaign here.


Niko Klansek

niko

Niko Klansek, an entrepreneur, is running his first marathon with Literacy Partners. When he’s not training, Niko practices yoga and likes to hike, swim, read, and sweat it out in boot-camp classes. His goal is to finish the race and enjoy every moment of it.

What motivated you to run with Team Literacy Partners?

Helping a great cause while achieving my life dream and goal.

Describe your training process for this marathon. How did you prepare?

I am training 6 days a week for 18 weeks with the Nike Running program. My reward is a glass of chocolate milk when I’m done.

What’s your favorite motivational song for running?

“Eye of the Tiger”!

Any updates?

On September 5th, I successfully ran a half marathon (21.1 km) at the abandoned airport in Berlin (Tempelhofer). Running on the airport strip was an amazing experience.

niko-berlin

Donate to Niko’s fundraising campaign here.


Iris Saleh

iris

Iris Saleh, a teacher, started running to cope with the stress of her first year on the job. Now in her sixth year of teaching, she works with struggling readers in high school. Iris is “both excited and terrified” to run her first 2016 TCS New York City Marathon! Her goal is to finish the race and try to enjoy the day.

What motivated you to run with Team Literacy Partners?

Literacy Partners’ mission is very important to me. If I can’t fully support my students by the time they graduate or age out of high school, Literacy Partners offers programs that can pick up where I left off.

What do you find to be the most rewarding part about running for a charity organization?

Each mile means more. I feel a greater sense of accountability knowing that each step I take is helping to combat illiteracy.

Describe your training process for this marathon. How did you prepare?

My sister is a personal trainer and planned a program for me. My process is following her plan and resisting the urge to lie on the couch!

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned from this preparation process?

Everything feels better after the first two miles.

What’s your favorite post-run snack or meal?

Tuna salad or cheese tortellini pasta.

What’s your favorite motivational song for running?

This Girl (Kungs Vs. Cookin’ on 3 Burners).

Anything else you would like to share?

I am so grateful to have the Literacy Partners team behind me on race day.

Donate to Iris’s fundraising campaign here.