My name is Haily and I am proud to be representing Team CASA in the 2025 Chicago Marathon. I was first introduced to CASA in college as it is my sorority’s sole philanthropy. I felt a strong connection to the mission; I believe our society is built on our youth and unfortunately, not all kids are prioritized like they should be. Despite growing up in a rural community, education and inclusion was prioritized. When I think about our school system, the work being done outside the classroom to help students eat a hot meal or have a safe place to play sports and do homework is even more important. CASA gives kids a safe space like this when they are going through tumultuous times in their lives and the one on one interaction, though time and capital-intensive, is where growth happens.
I haven’t always been a distance runner, but with age and perspective, it is easily one of the most transformative journeys someone can go on. The body is capable of extraordinary things, even if you don’t believe it, and that’s true for physical and mental feats. Many runners also believe in the symbolism of running: similar to pushing through tough, tiring, and entirely uncomfortable parts of life, you hit that same feeling when you’re running long distances and it’s when you become comfortable with that line of “impossibility” and pushing past it, that things actually become possible.
My hope would be that by running for CASA, I show my friends and loved ones that we can make the “impossible” become possible for ourselves and for those in need.
