After a brief hiatus, Casey Cares is bringing back our 5K mini-series, "Every Runner Has a Reason!" Longtime Casey Cares supporter and former disliker of running, Haleigh shares her motivation and reasons on why she runs!
Haleigh's running journey began when she "started taking fitness and working out seriously in January of 2022 and was working out 6 days a week, a mixture of weight training and cardio. We bought a rower, in the middle of the pandemic, as one did, so that was my main form of cardio. Growing up, I absolutely despised running and during sports would lie about how many laps I completed. When I was on vacation in April of 2022, they didn't have a rower available, but I needed to get my cardio in, so I begrudgingly went for a run."
She says that she "ran 1-mile in 95 degree heat and finished....happy. I couldn't believe it. I haven't stopped running since!"
Her favorite part about running is that fact that "you can do it anywhere. You need zero equipment apart from a great pair of shoes, it's accessible to anyone, you can do it anywhere and you can go at whatever intensity you desire."
Declaring that she would "run barefoot before I run without music," Haleigh states that her must-have item to have while running is her headphones.
This is not the first Casey Cares 5K that Haleigh has joined; she ran in last year's 5K!
"Our good friend, Kevin Ebert, is on the board and introduced us to this fantastic organization. I used to spend a lot of time with Ronald McDonald House volunteering in high school and I saw first hand what little time and investment it takes to have a disproportionately positive impact you can have in a child's - and their families - life during their most difficult time. I also love that this is an event my own children can participate in and understand."
"It's a beautiful way to be involved as a family," she concludes.
Thank you Haleigh for putting your new-found love of running to good use by raising money to help critically ill kids. Without that kind of dedication, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do for our children and their families!
Grab your headphones like Haleigh and sign up for Casey Cares 14th Annual 5K/1-Mile Walk on August 5th! T-shirt deadline is July 15th - tap here!