TC Marathon + Friends of the BWCA

This is my story. I grew up in the Twin Cities. From a young age, my dad would take me and my younger siblings camping in local state parks. When I was 12, he took me on a trip to his favorite place - the BWCA. My friend Laura and her dad came with us. We loaded the 2 canoes and we went our our first trip to the BWCAW - Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness. 

I am running each mile of this marathon to raise money for Friends of the BWCA. I hope my kids and their kids will be able to experience this magical place like I did when I was 12. I will never forget having to canoe into the cold wind and rain. Portaging our packs and canoes. Seeing a momma bear and cub on an island that we planned to camp on (we opted for a site on the other end of the lake instead). We tipped the canoe. We didn't catch any fish. We saw some loons and lots of stars. I can't remember the name of the lake but I remember spending time with my dad in the woods. 

Recently, I took my kids age 5 and 7 to the BWCAW for the first time. I live in Duluth and it's basically in my backyard. My dad came along, too. We had a short portage. We camped on an island (thankfully no bears this time). We tipped the canoe. We caught a few fish. We watched the sunsets and Milky Way. We listened to the loons. But mostly we had a great time together and made great memories. The name of the lake doesn't matter. We didn't have to wear masks for a few days. Our phones were off. We were disconnected and it was the best place to escape! 

I run because I want to keep my heart healthy. Heart disease runs in my family. I run to escape heart disease. As a cardiologist I see it every day. Running is good for your mind and your body. Routine exercise 30-60 minutes daily, eating a low sodium diet and plenty of fruits and vegetables and knowing your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar) are things we all should to do to stay healthy. 

I am running TC Marathon because my body is healthy and I can raise money for a cause that I care about. The magical BWCAW!

Will you pledge $1 per mile today? That's $26.20. Make a donation to help support the BWCA and keep it wild for years to come!

Donate today to help Katie raise money for Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend 2022’s fundraising campaign.