Running for Inclusion

The Promise

In the autumn of 2012, months of training for the New York City Marathon were upended when Hurricane Sandy hit. The race was rightly canceled so the city could focus on recovery. Determined to see it through, I rerouted to Pennsylvania and ran Harrisburg instead.

My kids—then just 7, 8, and 10—watched me navigate that detour. One of them said, "Dad, one day we'll all run NYC together." More than a decade later, standing at the starting line alongside Aashni, Armaan, and Anum is pretty awesome!

Inspired by two incredible people in our lives, we are immensely proud to run for two organizations that channel a passion for sport into life-changing impact for people with physical and intellectual differences: Special Olympics NY and Wheelchair Sports Federation.

Much More Than a Run

Our eldest daughter, Shaani, was born in 1999 with Down syndrome. Though we lost her in her first year following a complex heart surgery, her impact was profound and permanent. In her short life, she taught us that a person is never defined by a condition. If she were here today, she would be running right alongside us. We see her spirit in every individual with an intellectual difference who shatters barriers and achieves the extraordinary.

This run is also dedicated to our good friend, Victor Calise who fought tirelessly for equity as the commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, championing the rights and inclusion of the disabled community in every corner of city decision-making.