In honour of...

Disclaimer: This is a deeply personal post and a special one to me.  I talk about one of the main reasons behind my decision to do the 12WBT...to shed weight and get fitter so I can compete in my major milestone...a 14km fun run. 

I did it last year and I'm doing it again...the City2Surf in honour of my grandfather.

My beloved Nonno Michele passed away in November 2010 after battling stomach cancer. My Nonno went through a lot in his life and I was always inspired by his strength. He loved his hometown in Reggio Calabria, Italy and said that the happiest moment of his life was when he met my grandmother, Nonna Maria. Not long after they were married, Nonno was drafted and sent to battle in World War II. He became a prisoner of war and he never told us much about this time, only that he survived because of his short stature (as the bullets would fly right over the top of his head)! 

Nonno travelled to Australia in the 1950s, in search of a better life for him and his family. He worked hard for many years at Diary Farmers and he did a fantastic job of providing for his family. For the last few years of his life, my Nonno was very sick. No matter how much pain he was in, he still managed to keep his sense of humour and keep us smiling with his jokes. He was a strong man, and no matter what life threw at him, he fought back. He was a true soldier and he fought a hard battle. I miss him very, very much.

Cancer is a terrible disease and my hope is that they will one day find a cure.

My husband Alfie and I took up he challenge last year and ran/jogged/walked the 14km City2Surf race. It was a deeply emotional experience and I know that Nonno ran with us every step of the race. We raised over $1100 for the Cancer Council NSW and I was so proud of our achievements. (Read more about my first ever City2Surf in this post.)

This year TEAM Nonno Michele Soldiers On is born! My brother Mario and sister Kristina join Alfie and I and we look forward to racing together as a family, in honour of our beautiful Nonno.

Nonno Michele soldiers on...that is, he lives on within our hearts. We are his soldiers and we're on a mission to raise funds for the Cancer Council NSW. You can find our fundraising page here. If you can spare a few dollars, please get behind us and donate...and let's help find a cure!

Are you planning to compete in the City2Surf?