Shawn's mother in law suffers from multiple myeloma. Shawn felt led to do something in her honor and registered for the Boston Marathon through the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). Shawn had never competed in anything more than a half marathon prior to her petitioning to run on behalf of the MMRF during this year's Boston marathon. Coincidentally this year's marathon coincided with her 40th birthday, April 15.
Me, Crystal and Shawn (my two best friends) at an urban goose chase scavenger hunt for my birthday :)
After months of training Shawn and her family flew to Boston. There was such anticipation from our hometown, who raised more than $7K for MMRF as a way to show support for Shawn's efforts. Shawn completed 25.5 miles before the marathon was stopped because of the bombing. She returned home a couple of days later and proclaimed that she still felt led to finish the race. She researched and found that the Nashville marathon was the following weekend, April 27. We journeyed to Nashville, where she completed her marathon in the pouring rain.
As Christians, Shawn felt a calling on her life about two years ago. The first call was for her to shave her head in honor of her mother in law. You see her mother in law has spent her entire life encouraging others and witnessing about the love of Christ. Shawn shaved her head in honor of her mother in law in February 2012. As she continued to feel the call she knew she was led to run. That call led to this year's Boston Marathon. Little did we know what a call that would be!
Shawn's verse for the marathon was Jeremiah 33:3 -- Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
