Saucony 26 Strong | Team 13 – Sarah Lord & Carmen McDowell
Cadet: Sarah Lord
Age: 34 | City: Overland Park, Kan.
Sarah’s first race was the Trolley Run in Kansas City three years ago. The four-mile race is pretty much downhill, but she was still nervous about finishing. “I ran because my best friend asked me too,” she says. “I remember being nervous and not knowing if I could run three miles let alone four. As soon as I ran it, I was hooked.”
While she loves running, Sarah has chosen to run the marathon because of her father and his fight with Parkinson’s Disease. “I ran my first half marathon in May 2012 to raise money for Michael J Fox Foundation,” she says. “This year, I wanted to do something more. I wanted to push myself further, raise more money, and make my dad proud. The Chicago Marathon seemed like a perfect place because I knew Team Fox would be there.”
“I am inspired by so many people, and that is what I love about races,” she says. “I am constantly seeing people running for a cause and that seriously warms my soul. Carmen has pushed me to reach for this goal and to be honest, she is an inspiration. She is the mother of three young boys and has a busy life, yet she always finds time to get a run in and she is sending the message to her kids that being active and healthy is important. My dad is also an inspiration for me because my love of sports comes from him.”
Vet: Carmen McDowell
Age: 34 | City: Overland Park, Kan.
Carmen started running in 2006 after having her second child. “I’d always been an athlete—softball, basketball—but never a runner,” she says. “I wasn’t happy with my weight gain and I took up running to try and lose weight. I remember training for my first 5K and just hoping to finish it.”
“I just fell in love with running,” Carmen says. “I joined a running club and began training for more 5Ks and longer distances. I ran my first half marathon in November of 2007. As a mom to two young boys that worked full time, I found running gave me time to decompress and get some alone time. I loved the feeling of accomplishment that I had and the weight continued to come off. I ran through my third pregnancy in 2009 and have now completed two marathons, 21 half marathons, and countless 5Ks.”