Meet Jackie, Our September 2016 Most Inspiring Member

Our September 2016 KIND Most Inspiring Member is Jackie (above, left) with Roseville (MN) Moms on the Run.

In early May, at the start of her second year with Moms on the Run, Jackie’s 12-year-old son Gus was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, compromising his body’s ability to fight infections.

“Rather than crawling into the hole most of us would escape into, Jackie decided to use the timeframe of Gus’s chemo to train for her first 10K race,” said Katherine, one of her teammates and training partners.

Every week, amid cancer treatments and doctors’ appointments, Jackie would squeeze in a run based on her MOTR team’s training schedule. She added one half-mile each week, working her way to the 10K distance.

Jackie (second from right) and Katherine celebrate the completion of their first 10K with three of their children.

As Jackie built up her mileage and endurance, so too, did Gus. In early August, their family received the good news that his cancer had retreated by 80 percent. By the end of August, Jackie and Katherine crossed the finish line of their first ever 10K race, at the Moms on the Run 5K/10K, with Gus among the loudest in their cheering section. 

​Gus was able to resume school this month from home, with Jackie’s help. On October 9, she will run her first-ever 10-mile race, taking part in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile on Team “Go 4 Gus!”

“All along, Jackie has inspired members of our MOTR group with her grace, courage and positive outlook on life,” Katherine adds. “Her commitment to personal fitness in the face of one of the most unimaginable moments for a mom -- the news that your child has advanced cancer -- will serve as an inspiration to all who know her for a long time to come.”

Congratulations, Jackie, and thank you for inspiring ALL of us!

ABOUT KIND: Since its founding in 2004, KIND has been on a mission to make the world a little kinder one snack and one act at a time. #LiveKIND and do the kind thing for your body, your taste buds & your world.™

SPREAD THE LOVE: Have a teammate or coach who inspires you through her hard work and positive attitude? Take 2 minutes to nominate her as our next KIND inspiring member of the month.