Meet the Founders.
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Hi, my name is Madeline, and I’m a co-founder of Miles to Marathons. We founded Miles to Marathons in memory of our mom and to raise awareness for glioblastoma brain cancer research. Four years ago, at the beginning of Covid-19, I was sent home from college for online studies, and during that time Natasha influenced me to start running with her. Little did I know, that running would change my life. Staying consistent with running has taught me how to accept change and become the most confident and happiest version of myself. Running made me feel like even when I was fighting a constant uphill battle, I was still achieving something every day and slowly improving myself.
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Hi, my name is Natasha, and I’m a co-founder of Miles to Marathons. I’m passionate about running because it has become my coping mechanism for dealing with the loss of my mother and has engrained perseverance within every part of my life. You can read more about my first Napa Valley Marathon here, which I ran in memory of my mom. You can also read more about my NBTS fundraiser here, where I initially raised $4000 for Brain Cancer Research. I’m also currently a Senior at San Diego State University, majoring in Kinesiology with plans to attend Nursing School after graduating.
Our Story.
In 2016, our mother passed away. At ages 11 and 16, saying goodbye felt like it came all too quickly. But the most challenging part was yet to come. We were left to embark on womanhood all by ourselves. The struggles we faced sometimes felt endless, with more lessons that shaped us more deeply with every passing year.
Loosing a parent at a young age to an aggressive disease creates a feeling of loss that you can’t explain without living it. This is when our real battle began. We experienced depression, anxiety, and no longer related to our peers, which affected everything from our social lives to academic performance and attendance. We gained a different perspective on life, one where the little things became our greatest appreciations.
What truly changed our lives was not the tragedy we had faced, but when Natasha decided to go for a run one day. She needed to release some of the emotions she had been feeling, such as sadness, loneliness, and suffering from losing her mom. Little did she know, this would change our entire world. Running became her form of meditation.
Natasha joined her high school cross-country team, and after running her first half-marathon, decided to run her first full marathon entirely in memory of her mom. She also raised $ 4,000 on her own through her NBTS fundraising page, called Miles for Monica, and was the youngest female ever to run the Napa Valley Marathon.
Natasha quickly went on to run four more marathons. The night before her first Los Angeles Marathon, Madeline surprised her with our very first round of sold sweatshirts, and a plan to create our nonprofit organization, Miles to Marathons.
Watching Natasha run the Los Angeles Marathon the next day was the most inspiring moment of Madeline’s life. Each mile reflected the perseverance it takes to face the challenges we had faced. The way Natasha faced this marathon was like seeing a warrior in action. In that moment, Madeline knew this wasn’t just a “someday” idea; it was an I’m going to do this too moment.
During COVID, Natasha began running with Madeline every day. Pushing through the beginner runner’s hump was incredibly challenging. Stopping multiple times within the first mile felt discouraging and exhausting. But Natasha never stopped reminding her, firmly and consistently, “You are strong” and “You can do this.” Through this, Madeline learned perseverance. Sometimes, all it takes is one person believing in you to spark the courage to believe in yourself.
Because of Natasha, Madeline’s self-affirmation became simple and powerful: you can do anything you put your mind to. Three years later, Madeline ran her first marathon with Natasha by her side at the 2024 Napa Valley Marathon.
Today, the two sisters run together constantly—training for and completing marathons side by side—while growing Miles to Marathons. Through this work, we honor our mother by donating to the same brain cancer research program she was once part of, raising awareness for this disease, and inspiring others who have faced similar loss. Running taught us how to turn a forced failure in life into the greatest gift we could ever have, the courage to believe that you can, and the strength to do it.
