The Boston Marathon draws in people from all around the world, attracting about half a million runners. One of these 500,000 runners is Kerri Floramo, member of the Malden community. Floramo has worked at the Forestdale School for ten years and has been a resident of Malden for 23 years. She has been training to run the Boston Marathon since the tragic bombings that occurred in 2013.
Always interested in fitness, Floramo began preparing for half marathons five years ago. When the Boston bombings occurred, she began preparing to run the Boston Marathon. Floramo expressed that the hardest part in preparing for the race is the brutal New England weather which makes it very difficult to train. Running in the summer time is much easier, but with her dog, Apple, and good music, Floramo remains determined and motivated.
Floramo’s main goal in the race is to raise money and awareness for a cause that is very important to her. By running, she hopes to benefit the UMass Medical School Cellucci ALS Fund by raising $7,500 by Apr. 18, 2016. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that affects the nervous system and causes muscles to weaken, in turn leading to difficulty in moving.
Floramo decided to dedicate herself to helping raise for ALS because of her son’s school, St. John’s Prep School, and its student Pete Frates, who is the inspiration of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Floramo stated that “[Frates] story is truly inspiring and his family is amazing.” She was “beyond thrilled when [she] realized [she] could run the marathon and help in the fight against ALS.”
She firmly believes that with the help of the Malden community, she will be able to raise the amount of money she set out to do and will be able to make a difference. To donate to Floramo’s cause, visit her fundraising page: www.crowdrise.com/kerrifloramo.
