2025 TCS New York City Marathon

Make A Difference with Your Miles!

To the citizens of New Zealand, she was Margaret Helen Slater— a Justice of the Peace, an elder of the church, and a missionary who traveled the world, bringing joy and happiness to everyone she met. To me, she was simply Grandma. She was the one who made my daddy-daughter dinner dresses for two years in a row, baked my birthday cake for my 5th birthday, and flew with it all the way from New Zealand to South Korea. She made miracles happen for all of her grandchildren, always reminding me of my worth by ending every call with her signature phrase: “You’re special.”

My grandma was diagnosed with clear cell ovarian cancer when I was just 10. I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but I remember the 16-hour flights back and forth from New Zealand to Dubai every time I had a school holiday. Through the chemo, the treatments, and the tough days, my grandma carried the family on her shoulders. The doctor gave her just four months to live, but she didn’t let that stop her. She continued to host Christmas dinners, Easter egg hunts, pumpkin patch visits, and ABBA sing-alongs. She never stopped being Grandma to me and my five cousins, mother to my dad and his siblings, and a wife to my grandfather.

Sixteen months after her diagnosis, I remember waking up in the middle of the night with a gut feeling that something wasn’t right. I went into my parents' room, asking to sleep with them, only to find that they were awake too. My dad pulled me into the bed and told me the news I never thought I would hear. To me, my grandma was superwoman, and nothing, not even cancer, was ever going to stop her. A week later, my parents and I made what became my last trip to New Zealand to kiss her goodbye and thank her for reminding me every day that I’m special.

Since then, even with her gone, she has continued to make a difference. At the church where her service was held, she had made plans to build a chapel, now named in her honor. It serves as a reminder of how amazing she was—not only to her family but to everyone she ever met. I’ve never met anyone who wore their heart on their sleeve as much as my grandma, and to this day, I wish I had just a little more time with her.

Even with her no longer being with us I want to carry on her legacy and make a difference just the way that she does. So with that...

This year, I have the honor of running the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon to raise awareness and funding for National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. My support will help improve the lives of women, families and communities touched by ovarian cancer and I need your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today in support of my fundraising efforts.

In this year of great challenges, one even greater challenge remains, saving more lives from ovarian cancer. Dollars raised for the NOCC support national programs and local market initiatives to heighten awareness of the subtle signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, assist newly-diagnosed patients throughout the country, provide ongoing support to caregivers, and advocate for the advancement of ovarian cancer research.

Help me connect with my community and show my passion for saving lives and ending ovarian cancer.

Will you please join me to help save lives by donating today?