Share Your Special Race Story
Tell us why you walk or run the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women.
Do you run for your health, to stay focused, to gain self-confidence, for the camaraderie, or just for the fun of it? Share your special story and you will be eligible to win a gift certificate for New Balance footwear. Simply email your special story to thp10k@conventures.com by Friday, September 12, to take part in this unique offer.
Here is a story that was submitted in 2007 by a Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women participant. Her perseverance and strength moved and inspired us. We hope it does the same for you.
Dear Race Directors:
The Columbus Day Tufts 10K has been my landmark motivation to stay in shape and get back the confidence in my body that I once had. There have been many trials and tribulations in my life that have culminated since running my first Tufts 10K in 2006 and now I am committed to running the race for years to come. It was the initial inspiration for me to get back into shape 5 months after the birth of my second daughter and less than one month after the start of my new job. And now, as a working mother of 2 daughters, I have selected the Tufts 10K as my annual race where I will recruit at least one or two other women to run with me in the very important challenge of running for confidence, staying in shape, and having focus in one's life.
I am finally at peace with my life and I can honestly attribute a lot of the motivation of getting to this point in my life to the Tufts 10K. During the last year of dental school at Tufts University Dental School of Medicine, I gave birth to my first daughter, Caitlyn. I was ahead with my requirements so I could take the 2 months off during school to care for my daughter. It was tough, but worth every minute! Then, right before graduation, our condo had a fire and we lost everything! We had 2 cats, a dog, and a 5 month old all stuffed in our little condo in Medford, near Davis Square. We lost 1 cat and almost $100,000 worth of valuables in that fire. I thought for sure my life was going down hill and there was no sign up. My husband and I lived in an extended stay hotel room for 3 months with a cat, dog and our daughter while trying to put the pieces of our life back together again. I graduated from dental school during that craziness as well. I thought for sure it was a 'sign' for us to leave Boston so I applied and got into a 1 year dental residency program in Rochester, NY. We ended up coming back to Boston for many reasons, including my husband's job.
After moving back to Boston, we dealt with many deaths...my husband's grandfather and grandmother passed within 1 year from each other, my uncle passed tragically, and I lost my son, Connor, 6 months in utero. I previously had 1 prior miscarriage, but this second miscarriage was yet another challenge in our lives since I found out at my routine 6 month checkup that my son had passed in utero with no heartbeat. He had a significant heart defect that would need surgery for after his birth, but hearing that he did not make it was devastating! I ended up having to deliver him since he was too big for a D&C. My husband and I got to spend time with him after he was born, which helped with our healing process. I then got pregnant a forth time and delivered a healthy baby girl, Corie. After what seemed like 3 years of 'being pregnant', I wanted my body back and started training for the Tufts 10K. I ran the race with my head held up high and my family cheering me on. It had been a long time in my life where I felt so proud of myself and so proud to be a working mother, wife, sister, aunt, daughter, and woman. At that point, I made a commitment to myself not only to run the race every year, but get at least 1, 2, or 3 other friends, mothers, and even my sisters involved the monumental task of getting back into shape and loving it!
The Tufts 10K has been the starting point of all the achievements in my life of what I 'can do'. Since the last race, I am now a triathlete and have competed in my first triathlon this past month. I am now fully empowered and know I can achieve anything I put my mind to. I can finally check off many more things from my 'To Do Before I Die' list!
Thank you for running such a special race!
Sincerely,
Minna Kim Sams
