I am excited to share that I will be running this year’s New York City marathon to raise awareness and funds for the NY Marine Rescue Center! 

I chose to apply for this charity on my milestone year (yes, the big 50!) to honor and cherish all that I’ve been passionate about in my life. On my lowest days here, I ground myself when I go back in time to some of my greatest memories around sea turtle conservation walks in my early 20s, in Madras (now Chennai, in India)! The joy of watching giant Olive Ridleys nest late into the night, and to then come back to see hundreds of hatchlings dig themselves out of the sand and find their way into the water are sights I’ll never forget; and, to share this with a community of peers and students with disabilities by engaging and including them in these walks, made the conversation around conservation far more special and rewarding! 

The Olive Ridley turtle has always sustained me as my spirit animal, and it feels just perfectly timed to give back to the Ridley and other marine animals through this fund raiser! 

 I’m super excited to run on behalf of such a great organization in my birth state. 

Animals/sea creatures are beautiful creations & my family and I just love them all.

I began running 3 1/2 years ago.

My favorite race by far has been the UA Half Marathon in NYC in March 2024.

It was such a great event!

 The energy of the city & my family’s support was everything.

So to now run the NYC Full Marathon through the Boroughs of my childhood, (the race actually runs in front of my stepmom’s apartment in Spanish Harlem, where I stay when I visit) is going to be a true Full Circle moment for me. 

I was a spectator November 2022. Cheering on a friend. It lit a fire in me. 

And now this 50 year old “Abuela” will be an actual participant…how cool is that?!?! 

I’m the founder of Dorsal, an ocean-inspired bracelet company dedicated to protecting our oceans. For the past 7 years, we’ve worked to make an impact by removing one pound of ocean plastic with every purchase — totaling over 167,000+ pounds removed so far. What started as a simple idea has grown into a movement connecting people to the ocean through meaningful bracelets.

I’m beyond proud to partner with NY Marine Rescue for the 2025 NYC Marathon. This cause means the world to me, and I’m incredibly passionate about protecting marine life and the ocean we all depend on.

“I’m proud to be running the New York Marathon with a charity entry for the New York Marine Rescue Center. As the co-founder of Ocean Conservation Namibia, I rescue entangled and injured marine mammals on a daily basis. This cause is deeply personal to me — protecting marine life isn’t just my work, it’s my mission. Running and fitness play a vital role in the physically demanding nature of my job, and they’ve also become a true passion of mine. I’m honored to run for a team that shares my commitment to ocean and wildlife conservation.”