Supermodel Veronica Webb is hoping to raise 25,000 for Harlem United.
Many people open their checkbook and think that a cash donation can solve problems. Veronica Webb is not one of those people. She wants to do more.
On November 1, 2009, Veronica will run her first marathon as part of the Harlem United team. “I’ve always tried to run a marathon but something always happened—the first time I tried I got injured and hurt my Achilles tendon, then I had work, then I had a baby and a C-section, then I had another baby and another C-section, and I just never really had the opportunity to do it.”
But opportunities present themselves in perfect ways it seems. Though Veronica has never been able to run a marathon, she’ll finally get her chance, and the cause is so ideally aligned with her spirit. “I saw a lot of really bright, beautiful people devastated for no reason,” said Veronica of the AIDS epidemic.
“Things are better; they’re not perfect yet. And since that time I’ve been on the board of LIFEbeat. The fashion industry does so much, the CFDA does so much, DIFFA does so much. I love fitness, I love health, I love anything that adds to your personal strength.”
Harlem United is a community-based organization, which provides medical, social, and supportive services, which Veronica believes in deeply, from their attitude to their programs for those involved. “They really treat people with dignity, and they empower people to have independent minds,” she said. “So the fact that there’s people out there that are really on the front lines of the fight for the human right to medical care, because it’s more than a cure, it’s a human right. We should all have that. That’s why I’m running for Harlem United.”
Transitioning from running for fitness to running for a marathon requires planning and devotion. Like many, the idea of continuous long distance running was quite daunting for Veronica, After a dinner date with the editor in chief of Shape, her plan for the marathon was set. She was introduced to the Jeff Galloway method, which incorporates running and walking to the finish line.
“Once I do the marathon, no matter what happens it’s going to be my personal best because it’s my first one, and then that makes me a marathoner, and I can always get better at it.”
And though Veronica doesn’t have a trainer, she has the best reason to keep on running. “Now I have an unshakeable motivation. How can I let these people down? It’s something that I care about so deeply.”
