I’m so excited to share that I’ll be running the 2026 Grandma’s Marathon to help support Jhpiego’s Miles for Mothers program. This program does critical work in tackling cervical cancer and breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries where care can be rare and difficult to access. This year specifically, the funds raised will be directed toward preventing cervical cancer in Mozambique.

When I first learned about Miles for Mothers, I knew I had to get involved. About ten years ago, my doctor biopsied cervical cells that came back suspicious. She called while I was standing in the lobby of my office building, and it was hard to register anything after the words “suspicious cells.” When she mentioned a surgical consult, I started crying. My husband and I weren’t married yet, and we hadn’t really talked about having children. Suddenly, it felt like so many decisions were being made for me—a future I wasn’t going to move toward at my own pace.

Of course we can really only see the clarity of a situation in hindsight, and I realize now how relatively standard my whole experience was, despite it being something that required a surgical intervention. It’s also not lost on me how privileged my experience was either—living in a wealthy nation with medical care that was prevalent and readily available. This is why I had to get involved with the Miles for Mothers program. I want to do even the smallest thing to help another mother who has to navigate what can easily become both a scary and confusing situation.

As I toe that start line in Duluth, and as I cover all those miles, I’ll be thinking of the generosity of my network helping to not only support my efforts, but also to support this wonderful program that’s geared toward expanding access to healthcare to mothers around the world.