Shaunta-Mae remains determined as she makes final preparations to participate in this Saturday’s United Airlines NYC Half, a New York Road Runners (NYRR) event widely recognized as the world’s premier half marathon.
“Originally (my reason for running) was a promise that I made to God: I said if he were to restore my mobility and my walking, that I would walk like I’ve never walked before, I’d run like I never ran before and I would dance like I’ve never danced before,” said the New York City resident.
Shaunta-Mae overcame not only child abuse and a chronic illness, but paralysis from a rare medical reaction. She eventually regained mobility and is currently raising money for the NYRR Team for Kids.
Maya Sudhakaran is another inspiring woman that will traverse the 13.1 mile course that begins in Brooklyn, has runners trek across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, through Times Square and ultimately finish in Central Park.
“My dad was diagnosed with [multiple sclerosis in 2012], and I was running two to three miles here and there just to get started on my fitness journey,” Maya Sudhakaran told the AmNews. When a fundraising opportunity arose to run in the New York Marathon, she embraced the endeavor.
“That’s really what started my journey. Initially, when I found out about (my dad’s) diagnosis, I didn’t really know how to contribute or how to help, but I felt that fundraising for the cost and being part of something bigger than all of us in the community would really help me come to terms with it,” Sudhakaran explained. “I signed up with the MS Society, joined a training group, and haven’t stopped since.”
Although her father passed away in 2012, Sudhakaran is instilling purpose in her 12-year-old son through running.
“Ever since he was a baby, he’s been seeing me lace up and get out of the house to go run three times a week,” she said. “He asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ He’s really inspired to a point where he’s actually running the race.”
Sudhakaran’s son will be one of 1,500 kids participating in the Times Square Kids Run on Sunday, one of over 20 free Rising New York Road Runners events held annually. Since she began running, Sudhakaran has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Still, she continues.
“I told myself that if I stop now, I’m going to stop forever, and I don’t think I can do that.”
A major health issue also changed Beatriz Fritschler’s life. “I actually went on a long health journey after overcoming a brain aneurysm rupture,” she said
“During the COVID days, I was working out in the park with some ladies from my neighborhood, and we will warm up. Jogging in the first couple of weeks was really hard, but then I found in week three or four, I wasn’t feeling that tired, and I decided to go on a run on my own, and I was able to run a mile and a half and I just went from there because it was something that I always wanted to do, but always felt impossible to me.”
Fritschler shared that running also helps with her physical and psychological endurance, and has strengthened her will to push through adversity.
She credits the Dykman Running Club, a community based organization based in Upper Manhattan founded in 2019, for uplifting her.
“I couldn’t do anything if I had to do it by myself,” she said. “I need to do it with the community. They keep me accountable and give me the energy to keep going.”