Selected as a New York City Marathon Ambassador!

Received a great email yesterday…

YOU’VE BEEN SELECTED

Congratulations!
You’ve been selected to represent your state as a
Marathon Morning Across America Ambassador in the second annual
Marathon Opening Ceremony featuring the Parade of Nations.

Here’s how it happened, I posted this on Facebook last week…

The ING New York City Marathon is looking for “Marathon Morning Across America Ambassadors”… a person from each state to represent their state in a Parade of Nations. I’d love to represent Pennsylvania! To apply, I need to: “submit a 150-word statement telling us why you’re the best person to represent your state.”

How do I best tell my story in 150 words?

If I use your comment to enter, I will send you a free copy of Because I Can! And if I use your comment to enter and I’m selected, I will send you an amazing prize box! A Because I Can book and shirt, bottle of champagne, a NYC souvenir, a marathon souvenir, a tree leaf from Central park and more!

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Many of you gave me great ideas and suggestions (facebook threads here and here).
Thank you!

This is what I submitted… (150 words exactly!)

I almost lost my leg and my life in an accident. Thanks to amazing doctors, I survived, but they had doubts if I’ld walk again due to massive injuries.

I recovered better than anticipated, thanks to a few things: skilled medical personnel, support from family and friends, the endurance from being a runner the previous 10 years and growing up on a Pennsylvania Dutch farm in a strict Mennonite family (almost Amish) where hard work was the norm.

By “doing what I can, because I can” I returned to running four years post-accident and the beautiful rolling hills of Pennsylvania provide a great place to train. Running is my personal Declaration of Independence and I want everyone to know they’re capable of more than they give themselves credit for. I’m thrilled to be able to do the NYC marathon and I’d be honored to be a Marathon Morning Ambassador. 

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I used concepts from a few of your ideas, but I used words most directly from Sarah Emlen Besterman’s and Daniel Toocheck’s comments.

And I won!!

Thank you Sarah and Daniel! Both of you will be receiving a gift basket. I’ll be in touch with details after the NYC marathon.

They asked that we wear something to represent our state. So what do I wear to represent Pennsylvania? Eagles shirt? A cheesesteak? Amish clothes? IM ABLE clothes? (since they are sponsoring me to do the marathon) Because I can clothes?

Any suggestions?