All donations online are secure and go directly to Maiti Nepal via Razoo. Alternate donations can be also be accepted. Please email preshita.gadkari@gmail.com. All donations are tax deductible.

My name is Preshita Gadkari, and I will be running to raise money for Maiti Nepal. Over the years, this NGO has rescued more than 12,000 girls and women. They also take care of survivors [and their families] by providing hospice, schools, and a safe place for them to heal. I came across this organization while watching CNN Heroes 2010, where Anuradha Koirala [the founder of Maiti Nepal], was introduced. The video clip of this cause (posted on this page) truly inspired me to do whatever I could to help them. I'm sure once you see this clip, you will too.

http://www.friendsofmaitinepal.org/

http://www.maitinepal.org/

Running to me, is a relatively recent revelation. As a kid, I grew up having asthma and could barely walk for a long period of time without discomfort. So it's no surprise that I was never a serious athlete. Eventually, I grew out of it.

High school onwards, I signed up for cross-country. I signed up for sports like cross-country or track since I had very little experience playing team sports...and it was also one of the few sports that didn't cut any team members or have try-outs.

Then, I absolutely DREADED running all throughout and couldn't wait for each run to end. My knees hurt, head hurt, chest hurt during every single run. The only reason I didn't quit is because I'm stubborn and headstrong, as I've been told...which was a blessing in disguise in this case.

As I entered college at Rutgers, I was not happy. Everything was different and I felt very lost. It was either sink or swim, and I barely treaded through my freshman year. That year, I held it all in, and ate my feelings through dining hall food (which doesn't make you feel better afterwards anyways). Somehow, I found myself at the gym...on an elliptical, pushing through all my frustration. This felt so relaxing...so peaceful after breaking a sweat. From there, I decided to test the roads till I realized that I've been running the wrong way my whole life. Yes, there is a right way to run. In high school, I was very turbulent heel striker! I used to pound into my knees...which I focus now on avoiding. I also learned how to eat healthier, pace better, and push through. Running taught me to live better, both physically and mentally. There is a mental toughness that all runners are familiar with, that somehow overrides the little voice in your head that tells you to stop when the going gets hard. This goes beyond running and can applied in all other areas in life.

Today, I am very happy to be where I am. I am recent graduate of Rutgers-SEBS where I majored in Microbiology and Biotechnology. I work as a lab manager in a research lab and love it! I start each day, with a run.

And through the years, I signed up for 5Ks, Half-Marathons, and recently, the inevitable finally happened. After 3 months of staring at the screen of the Philadelphia Marathon, I REGISTERED! 26.2 MILES. I FEEL INSANE.

Now come the actual workouts--or rather the even harder routines. Waking up at 4:30AM to eat in order to run at 6AM makes me question my sanity at times. The places on my body that are always sore as I go work would seem unnatural to many. But, this cause makes it all worth it. If those girls have to be so strong, why shouldn't we?

It is a basic human right to have your own body, and not be enslaved by something or someone else. By running these races, I am pushing my own body to spread awareness and fundraise for the those who need us. Please consider donating (any amount helps!) and join me in making a difference! To donate, please click the green button on the right of this page. Thank you!

Races in Fall 2012

1) Grete's Great Gallop ( a Half Marathon [13.1 miles]... Oct-Central Park, NYC)

2) Princeton Half Marathon (Nov-Princeton, NJ)

3) Philadelphia Marathon (Nov-Philadelphia, PA)