Rounding the corner of mile 26, I could see the finish line right at the top of a small hill. Thousands of spectators lined the bend, encouraging me, and my eyes filled up with tears. My body was indescribably tired; the kind of fatigued you feel once you have pushed your body to its absolute edge. This adrenaline-charged sensation is why I have run five marathons: I can't get enough of the runner's high.
Running for a cause gave me purpose. Not only was I racing for the clock, but I was racing for the kids I had worked with two summers ago. I decided to represent the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit near and dear to me. I gave so much to this charity while I interned there, but I can honestly say the RMH offered me more. That summer internship was my first glimpse into the world of public health, a world I am now certain I want to be a part of.
Satisfaction means knowing my effort has purpose. There is purpose in my future career in public health and nonprofit work, where I hope to impact lives for the better. There is purpose in my current service time with the CHC, where I can see the positive influence everyday with the students I work with. There is purpose in my environment, where I am constantly utilizing a city with many opportunities, and there is purpose in my social situation, where my co-service members and I have become a family and support system for each other.
Running a marathon is a powerful experience. There is so much satisfaction in knowing 26 miles are behind me. In the past, my satisfaction stemmed from self-improvement: training nonstop, beating a time, receiving praise for finishing. This marathon was different: my runners high came from being inspired. It was a combination of my fellow CHC members (of whom I have known for only a month) showing up to cheer me on and my charity I was representing; giving me purpose to finish; making it about something bigger than myself.
Running for a cause gave me purpose. Not only was I racing for the clock, but I was racing for the kids I had worked with two summers ago. I decided to represent the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit near and dear to me. I gave so much to this charity while I interned there, but I can honestly say the RMH offered me more. That summer internship was my first glimpse into the world of public health, a world I am now certain I want to be a part of.