September was a month filled with lots of successes for our St. Leonard’s Back on My Feet team! Our residential and non-residential members have been enjoying the cooler running weather and have been working hard to meet our new running goals together!
On September 10th many members of the St. Leonard’s team represented our squad well at the Back on my Feet track meet. Non-residential and residential members had a great time making fools of themselves skipping, running backwards, and even doing a three-legged race around a 400 meter track. Our team won the fastest relay team thanks to the great running of George, Jorge, Akbar, and Jerry. Jerry went on to win the “fastest Back on My Feet male” and discovered just how talented he is!
On September 18th our two marathoners, Issac and Mingo, completed the Ready to Run 20 miler on a rainy Sunday morning. Many of the St. Leonard’s residential members came out to show their support and to help run the aid station. Everyone is so proud of Issac and Mingo for running so hard and so well! Our team is so excited for the upcoming marathon!
The St. Leonard’s team also showed up in force to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Back on my Feet Chicago. It was nice to get together with the other Chicago teams and share some memories about what Back on my Feet means to us. After a one mile run together we all enjoyed a spirited reception with cake and cookies!
Our St. Leonard’s team is also growing! September welcomed Mayo, a new residential member to the team. His kindness and positive attitude are already making an impact on our team. We look forward to his growing mileage! We also welcomed several new volunteers this month and they have all added so much to our group already!
Also this month, Osie and Frank graduated from the Building Maintenance Course and Frank also gained employment at Soldier Field AND for the CTA. Wade graduated from the Inspiration Corporation Employment Preparation Training Course and Jerry is taking a class to get his high school diploma.
Many of our runners are pushing themselves and surprising themselves with the results. Akbar is consistently growing in his mileage and always with a big smile on his face! Donald blows everyone away with his consistent 8 mile runs and work ethic (not to mention SPEED!).
September has flown by for our St. Leonard’s team. We have grown in so many ways and look forward to continued milestones and triumphs in October!
Residential Member of the Month: Akbar B.
Akbar has been a member of the St. Leonard’s team since July 2011 and he has already accomplished more than he ever thought possible! When he first joined the team, his running goal was to reach 2 miles without stopping, something he had never been able to do before! Within the first week, Akbar had already logged a 2-miler. Now, he has a new goal: complete a half marathon in January with Back on My Feet at the F3 Lake Half Marathon! Akbar brings such a great attitude to the team with his kind heart and gentle nature! Akbar can tell you how much he loves being a part of the St. Leonard’s Back on My Feet Team:
“I think the team is fantastic, just wonderful. The volunteers especially have good spirits and are warm, friendly, and willing to help. And the group as a whole is very encouraging. The group is like a life coach for me, helping me move forward with my life. The team’s birthday bash for me was one of the best birthday parties of my life. It was so touching. I really appreciate what the group does for me.”
Non-Residential Member of the Month: Shelley B.
The St. Leonard’s team is so thankful for everything Shelley does for them! They can always count on her to be at all the events and runs, and she’s guaranteed to be there with a smile on her face! She has such a big heart and even a bystander would be able to see howmuch Shelley truly cares about the St. Leonard’s team members! As Shelley would tell you,
“I have been running for about fifteen years. And, in that time, I almost never ran with other people or ran in the mornings; I thought I disliked both. Back on My Feet has definitely proved me wrong!! Every single time I get to St. Leonards and see all my friends getting ready to run, I immediately feel a sense of energy, warmth and motivation. There is really nothing like it. I will forever be grateful for the people I have met through this organization and hope that I can find a way to give to it, what it has given to me.”
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