As many of you know, last year I ran the 2013 Boston Marathon to raise funds for Dana-Farber. Many of you supported me in that endeavor, and together we were able to raise over $6,000 for Dana-Farber to support innovative cancer research. Having lost family and friends to cancer, and having family and friends who have survived cancer, this charity was very near and dear to me and I again thank all of you who supported me.

As many of you also know, I was not able to complete the 2013 Boston Marathon. I was stopped just one-half mile from the finish line, moments after the bombings. I never thought I would ever say that I was grateful I was not running faster in a marathon, but that day I was very grateful for not being faster.

Because I was not permitted to finish, the B.A.A. has invited me, along with all of the other runners who were stopped on the course, to run the 2014 Boston Marathon as invitational runners. We found out that we were going to be given this opportunity last May, just one month after the tragedy. While I was thrilled to have been given a second chance to finish what I started last year, I still have many raw emotions about that day.

There were three lives that were lost on April 15, 2013, and hundreds of other lives that were changed forever. All of the victims, the survivors, and their families have remained in my thoughts since that horrible day. But there is one family that I find myself thinking about more often than most. The family of Martin Richard.

Martin was just 8 years old when he was killed. My own son Ryan is now 7 years old. When I look at pictures of Martin, I cannot help but see similarities that he shared with my own child – especially the big, boyish smile that radiates joy and happiness from ear-to-ear.

Martin was standing at the Boston Marathon Finish line on April 15, 2013 when he was killed. My husband Mike, my children, Ryan and Adyson, and my parents were all also standing at the Boston Marathon Finish Line on April 15, 2013. They were standing directly across the street from Martin Richard and his family, as they waited for me to finish the marathon.

It could have just as easily been me or my family that was injured or killed. But it wasn’t, and for that I will be forever grateful. But being grateful is – simply put – not enough. From the moment I received the invitation from the B.A.A. to run the marathon again in 2014, I knew that somehow I had to make this marathon mean something more than just a second chance to finish what I started. It was very important to me that I find a way to honor the memory of the victims and the strength of the survivors. I have a responsibility to do more than just “be grateful” – for me, for my family, and for everyone whose lives changed forever in one horrific moment.

When I learned that Martin Richard’s family had established a foundation in his memory I knew I had found my answer. I will be running the 2014 Boston Marathon as a member of the inaugural Team MR8. Members of Team MR8 will be running the 118th Boston Marathon to raise funds for the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation, a Massachusetts non-profit corporation formed by the parents of Martin Richard to honor Martin’s message of peace by investing in education, athletics, and community. “Martin Richard’s view of peace went well beyond simply wanting to prevent violence. To Martin, peace meant things like togetherness, teamwork, fairness, sportsmanship, inclusion, and the prevention of bullying.”

I am humbled by this opportunity to honor Martin’s memory and his message of “No more hurting people – Peace”. If you are able and would also like to honor Martin’s message for peace, please consider supporting the Foundation by donating to my 2014 Boston Marathon “Run For Martin Richard” with Team MR8. My goal is to raise $5,000 for the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation, so that we can continue to promote the message of peace for a little boy who died much too soon.

I will keep you posted on my training and fundraising progress and I look forward to seeing many of you on the streets between Hopkinton and Boston on April 21st, 2014, on what promises to be a day filled with much strength, healing and peace.