Mercy Home Heroes Spotlight: Emily Vaupel
Emily Vaupel is a Hero for our kids in more ways than one. Not only has she run three marathons,...
October 29, 2020
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#GivingTuesdayNow is almost over. Only a few hours left to help our families affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Gifts made today will be matched up to $50,000 thanks to the generosity of a dedicated group of employees at William Blair and its matching gifts program.
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I was at Dick Pond getting my packet for the Chicagoland Spring Half Marathon and I picked up a pamphlet from the Mercy Home table. That is where I met Jim. My son was running around the store while I was trying to pick up some fuel, and Jim asked me if he could give him some stuff to distract him while I shopped. I couldn’t believe his generosity! I went back to my car and started researching Mercy Home. Once I read about their mission, I knew I had to help. As a parent, I wanted to help give the children who are residents of Mercy Home the same opportunities that I am able to give my children.
My favorite race day memory was running past the Mercy Mile. Seeing all the kids and my family cheering for me brought me to instant tears. Why I was doing it all came together for me at that point.
I now know I am capable of anything. I found out earlier in the season that I had torn my left hip labrum and needed surgery, but I refused to give up on my goal of completing the marathon and raising awareness for Mercy Home. I struggled hard through the last four miles, and I had to dig deeper than I ever had to push through, but I finished. And I finished at 4:05 which was a PR by an hour and 30 minutes!
Honestly, it was running the Chicago Marathon for Mercy Home. Typically I just run because I love it, but this really gave me a purpose for why I was doing it. Seeing the impact I made really made me feel like a hero!
Trust in your training and enjoy the experience. You may not feel ready on race day, but if you followed your plan, you are ready. Just run and soak in the amazing experience of running through all of the Chicago neighborhoods!
Being a hero will change your life. Take advantage of the things we do as a team. Make connections with your teammates. I made so many new friends after running with Mercy Home and we all support each other. You will need that support when you are in the thick of marathon training and want to give up. We will all be there to cheer for you and keep you going!
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