I owe her a lot for who I am today!

It’s hard to believe she passed away more than 3 years ago!! She was always a strong and wise woman. My mom was never the type that would cry for help, despite the difficult life she endured starting in her childhood. She lived through the displacement of her family internally in Palestine during the 1948 war. She persevered and went on her life she even went to get a bachelor’s degree in physics abroad during the ‘60s. She then lived through the pain of being a refugee in Jordan after the 1967 war, and without any notice, had to apply her degree to become the main breadwinner for her family. I always wonder about all the little things that mess up my days, and how trivial they seem compared to the struggles she endured. When she spoke of her trials and tribulations, she always spoke with pride, and never allowed us to sense the human frailty in her voice. Reflecting on the strong person she was always gives me a sense of humility and gratitude for the good fortunes her sacrifice gave me. It took me a long journey to find peace within myself through running. Running in memory of my mom for her homeland Palestine (that she never was allowed to return to) helps me deal with my complicated feelings from being an ocean apart from her when she needed me the most at the end of her life. I always find myself united with her spirit while running long distances.

My dream of running the six major marathons in memory of my mom for her beloved homeland is still the main reason I run these long races and find interest in waking up every day to live another day. The different forms of injustice I witness around the globe, make me more determined to run. Last October, I ran the Chicago Marathon for the 2nd time, with Team Palestine. I will be lucky again to run with Team Palestine in Cleveland under the PCRF umbrella for the 2nd time as well. Because the Cleveland marathon is less than 3 weeks, I will run a 10K and the half marathon in back-to-back days in Cleveland because its more difficult to train to a full marathon during the past month of Ramadan.

I love PCRF because it is a certified, non-profit charity organization. PCRF is not about religion, nationality, or politics. PCRF provides healthcare relief to children. PCRF has earned a 4-star rating, the highest possible rating on Charity Navigator, for many consecutive years.

PCRF was established in 1992 by concerned humanitarians in the USA to bring injured and sick children for free medical care they could not get locally.

You can access the annual reports for PCRF through this link:

https://www.pcrf.net/annual-reports?fbclid=IwAR2TWhWz2_EObTo9L34GKncpAocTgUxD_n85nDpOG0MbdGeWigER35B37Ko

My fundraising goal for these races are at least $1500! There is no donation too small, every dollar counts! Please consider donating or sharing my funding page with your friends.

Peace!