On 26th April 2015, I will run the London Marathon in memory of my mom and in honor of my sister for Cancer Research UK. In 2013, I left a job that I truly loved to pursue my MBA at Oxford. I believe this degree will help me reach my utmost potential and maximize my impact extending global access to quality and affordable healthcare. It was not easy to leave. So often I wondered if my friends understood the extent to which this decision was intertwined with so much of my past. The day I left, I slipped my mom’s wedding ring onto my finger to help remind me of my strength, where I’d come from, and what I want out of life.

Exactly ten years prior, I had boarded my very first transatlantic flight, literally scared to death. I wanted to be with my mom. She had been too sick to even recognize me when I’d said goodbye that morning. Her doctors had given her days to live, and I’d probably never see her again. But, she had shed tears of pride when I visited her hospital bed over the summer. She insisted I take up my place on BU’s honors program at Oxford. For, she knew it would be the best opportunity of my life. It created a confident and strong internationally minded young woman with a passion for paying forward her gratitude for the quality healthcare that my family has received and the opportunities I have had.

And so, motivated by my mom, I spent 10 years building a thriving career in international healthcare and running marathons in an effort to bring hope and support to those affected by cancer. During this time, I bought a home in the city, raised a puppy, mentored children with cancer, and coached friends who used running to change their own lives. Rarely one to talk about or display my emotions, I prefer to use challenges as motivation to excel. Running became my outlet and the best way I knew how to help, unite, and inspire as many people as possible. Like my undergraduate time in Oxford, it showed me that I am capable of things I never thought possible. To this day, my proudest moment remains crossing the finish line of my first Boston marathon, bearing the names of dozens of friends and family members who had battled cancer.

Shortly thereafter, my amazing little sister was diagnosed with cancer. Katie is my best friend and favorite person in the world. I don’t know what I’d do without her love and support. I dedicated my second Boston marathon to her, and she ran the last 3 miles by my side. Months later, when a drunk driver shattered her leg and took a year of her life away, I took solace in training for my third marathon for Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute as a means of expressing my gratitude for the two women whom I have loved most and who have always been there for me.

I have been a part of the Boston Marathon for as long as I can remember. Awe-struck by the event, my mom took my sister and me to watch as children. Thirteen years ago I vowed to run it one day after finishing a volunteer shift as president of my college community service organization. For years, I have said that I live for the Boston Marathon’s embodiment of the human spirit’s ability to overcome challenges and achieve the impossible. It symbolizes my personal story coming of age from an overweight high school girl dealing with the loss of a parent to a woman who fought to find a passion for health and strength that could be shared with others.

In 2013, I was watching the race near my condo, not far outside of Kenmore Square, when my sister frantically txted to see if I was okay. She urged me to go home, explaining that something had exploded near the finish line. I could not believe what I saw when I turned on the TV. Three of my best friends had just crossed the finish line. Another one would have been spectating in the immediate area, like my coach, team director, and fellow volunteers. I’ll never forget that day. The next few hours were amongst the scariest of my life, as I tried to contact dozens of close friends and wondered what had come of the 550 runners on the Dana Farber team. Cell phone service remained down for several hours. Although my closest friends were safe, some of them still struggle deeply with what they saw that day. Moreover, close relatives of some of my teammates were severely injured and lost limbs.

I was interviewed by homeland security as I departed from Logan airport the following day, and I was questioned again when I landed in England. I watched the same horrific scene over and over thinking of how my best friends from home always stood in that exact spot to cheer me on to the finish line. The day before I flew home, the coverage changed to scenes in which tanks rolled through the city streets, the bomber hijacked a car literally at the end of my street, the city was locked down, my home became the epicenter of a 2 mi radius in which each home was searched door to door, and press conferences occurred every few hours in my local Target parking lot.

Like so many affected by the Boston marathon bombings on so many different levels, I wanted to carry forth the “run now” movement that immediately arose from the ashes. Although I couldn’t be in Boston last April, I yearned to be a part of the marathon. I wanted to symbolize the city that I come from. I wanted to honor my mother as I returned to Oxford to earn one of its toughest degrees. Ten years after she died, I still think of her every day. I would not be here were it not for her. In her absence, it has been my sister who has encouraged me to follow my dreams. I wanted to run in her honor. Given this symbolism, I was devastated when both my MBA and training plans fell apart due to health issues. Yet, after a long and emotionally difficult road, I remain not only undettered but more grateful than ever for both the chance to study at the University of Oxford alongside two amazingly inspiring batches of classmates and the opportunity to run the beautiful London marathon course in a perfectly symbolic sort of graduation upon completing my degree.

I have long wanted to celebrate my happiness, my achievements, and a brilliant comeback after a few difficult years of training and personal decisions. I want to do something profound to give back to the people of England, for this country has meant a lot to me through my work and studies. In so many perfect ways, Oxford and marathoning work together to symbolize who I am and what I have built over the course of the past 11 years of my life. So, I cannot imagine anything more exciting or perfect than running the London marathon as a member of the Oxford varsity marathon team for Cancer Research UK. I want to extend the Boston Strong movement to everything I do and to those I meet from all corners of the globe.

I ask you to consider making a small donation to support me in my quest to raise 2000.00 pounds for cancer research. Perhaps you can grant me the honor of running in tribute to someone you know who has battled cancer by donating in his or her name. I will proudly wear the names of all of my honorees on race day, and I will dedicate a mile of my run to each of them. http://www.justgiving.com/Jamie-Lynne-Boutilier

You can also follow my blog for regular updates on training and my life at Oxford: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/lostinoggsford