Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge "Marathon Moms" Bios
Jessica LeBron, Bronx
Jessica is a single mom of 14-year-old, Sammi. She works in the advertising field and is currently in school studying marketing. Upon graduating in May 2010, she will further her education at Lehman College. Her goal is to finish school before her daughter finishes high school. She wants to be a role model to show that although it's easier for you to get your education while you are young, it is never too late to attain your goals. Jessica's journey into running began on the treadmill in the summer of 2006. She found exercising to be a great stress reliever. "The more I ran without stopping, the better I felt," she says. Last year Jessica decided to run her first marathon. However, the only way to qualify was through a charity. She chose New York Road Runner's Team For Kids, and had to raise a required $2500. "I was having difficulty raising the money - I was stuck at $700. Then I met a lovely lady named Jane. I sat next to her while waiting for the Metro North train. We started talking and I told her about TFK- how I was raising money but was struggling. Jane proceeded to give me $200 cash out of her wallet! I was totally shocked. I made the donation on her behalf, and call her my 'money angel,' because after that, I easily raised almost $4000." This year, Jessica hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Dorothy McPhee, Brooklyn
Dorothy is Dean at the New York Harbor School in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she organizes and implements the discipline policies and maintains order in the school. "I have lived in or worked throughout New York City and began my career with the Teaching Fellows 7 years ago."
Dorothy and her husband live in Brooklyn with their two children, a boy, 3, and a girl, nearly 1. They are a very active family, spending a lot of their free time running, roller-blading, playing soccer, and developing life-long, healthy physical fitness habits. Dorothy says that running has played an incredibly important role in her life. "It has helped me de-stress from my job, pursue difficult personal challenges, remind myself that I am capable of so much, maintain a healthy level of fitness and body weight, and have two comfortable, easy pregnancies which both ended in easy, comfortable, natural births." This will be Dorothy's first marathon, and she's very excited to run it as the Brooklyn representative.
Angela Gonzalez, Queens
Angela is a 46-year-old single mother of two (son Jesse, 17, and daughter Jaylene, 10), who works full-time at a non-profit organization in the communications department, as well as a running coach and pacer just about every night of the week. A native New Yorker, she has lived in Queens for 21 years Angela's passion for running developed at 9-years-old, thanks to her brother. "My brother would always challenge me to beat him in a foot race - he would beat me until the day I won! I loved the competition and the feeling of victory!" When Angela decided to get married and start a family, she took a break from running. After her two children were born, she decided to resume running by taking them out in the jogging stroller every night. Her legs were remembering what they had to do. "I soon found myself back on track and I have not stopped ever since."
Lisa Stavros DeFillipo, Staten Island
Lisa, a 43-year-old mother of two (Nicole, 14 and Alyssa, 11), works as a personal trainer. She loves her job, but her true passion is running. At first she began running as a way to clear her head, and provide her with the energy to handle her kids and stresses of life as a working mom. Her long term goal, however, which was always in the back of her head, was to run in the ING New York City Marathon. Lisa applied last year and unfortunately was not accepted, so she tried again this year and was thrilled to make it. "Being chosen to represent Staten Island in the Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge while running my first full marathon is a once in a lifetime opportunity." Lisa is running this marathon in memory of her father, Leon, who passed away two years ago. "He was and always will be my rock - I feel he is the force right now that is driving me to follow my dreams."
Allyson Hentel-Koplin, Manhattan
This year's ING New York City Marathon, marks Allyson's sixth marathon. Before 1998, the only running she had ever done was in grade school and she hated every minute of it. While in graduate school studying to get her Ph.D., one of Allyson's classmates suggested they run a marathon together. Allyson, "laughed at her suggestion," but entered their names in the 1998 New York City Marathon lottery. Training for and completing the race changed Allyson's life- realizing that she was a capable woman who could accomplish great feats. Since her two daughters were born, she has become a much more competitive runner. "Negotiating mothering (many sleepless nights), working and incorporating training for a marathon was not easy." Her daughters, Daniela and Emily, watch me train and have learned that running is a routine and essential part of life. They enjoy watching mommy run and are my biggest fans. "When I began to run in 1998, I was a single woman who doubted I could run three miles. Now I am a mother who runs marathons. Each training run for me is a new experience, as is each day of motherhood. They are both my lifelong commitments and my greatest loves."
