Pay it Forward: Running 205 miles for MS awareness and funding
Marion, IA — Running over 205 miles in just over a week is no easy feat, but it's exactly what one Marion woman is setting out to do, all for a good cause.
Multiple Sclerosis has been part of our family for 20 years now," said Kimberly Poston. "My sister was diagnosed first, but also my cousin. It's very near and dear to my heart."
Poston is running part of a relay team across the country with MS Run the U.S., a nonprofit committed to raising awareness and funding for those living with MS.
"Our family has spent many years doing events, whether it's been walks, bike rides, bowling in the local area," said Poston. "Over time some of those events have gone away."
Poston hopes that more events raising money for MS happen locally in the future, but has set her focus on training the next few months to conquer the 205 mile journey.
"The segment I’m doing is segment 12 out of 19," she said. That goes from Clive to Dubuque, and I’ll have 8 days to do it, so it's roughly a marathon a day."
Kimberly's teammates are from all across the United States, some of which are suffering from MS themselves. Her sister is also training to run a portion with her, something she keeps in mind while training.
"Its really neat seeing people of different abilities and how they’ve been impacted by the disease," said Poston. "You think 'Oh gosh it's really hard for me to do that!' but for someone who's potentially having mobility or nerve issues, it's certainly super inspiring that I can run on behalf of people, but also alongside them."
Kimberly says many family members and friends have asked to run portions of the run with her, something she welcomes in completing the run.
When asked what will keep her motivated over the 205 miles on the road, her answer was simple:
"I think its gonna be mentally, physically, emotionally challenging, but my thought process I going back to the why why am i doing this?
If you would like to donate to Kimberly's page, the link can be found here.
