Sent to us on November, 20, 2007

Good Morning 100-Mile Club Group!

I would like to start by stating that the visual effect and motivational ripple that your program has caused at Prado View Elementary, has been amazing!!!  I am unaware of the existence of the program last year, as my two daughters have been at Prado View Elementary School in Corona, CA since Kindergarten, but they are both active in the program in 4^th and 5^th grade, respectively.  It is an amazing things to see hundreds of children, younger and older, in the maroon t-shirts for every award assembly or school gathering.  Quite an amazing sight!!!!!

My reason for writing today, is to let you know that may always athletic daughter, Rachel, a member of Mr. Ryan Candelaria’s 4^th grade class, has been on-board with the program since it’s inception, this year.  Some personal statistics about my daughter will AMAZE you, but also show how the depths of your program have touched the students themselves, and to what capacity:

•          Rachel was born on January 1, 1998 at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital. Her mom, me, was U.S. Marine at the time.
•          Rachel was born with a severe “clubbed foot” (left foot, to be exact)
•          In her almost 10 years of being on this earth, Rachel has undergone 5 surgeries because of the intial severity, and faces at least 2 more in her lifetime. She has become amazingly resilient because of this, and has overcome and adapted beyond her phycial means.
•     Rachel currently wears a size 2 shoe on her left foot, and a size 7 shoe on her right foot.  Her left calf is severely atrophied; because of the underdevelopment caused by her clubbed foot.

The reason I am so particularly proud of Rachel, is that your program has pushed her on a personal level, and she has reached goals and boundaries that she never knew she had.  On an average, and verified by her teacher and peers AND older sister, Rachel runs an average of 4 miles a day!!!!!!  I questioned her when she came home, but realized that for every “dot” that the verifier would place on her hand, it stood for one lap around the track.  When she comes home with 16 dots on her hand; and seeing her 100-mile club progress chart at school; she is surpassing her own standards, her fellow classmates and my own, as her mother.

I also wanted to share, that Rachel ran in her first competitive, and timed 5K Run at the Susan Komen “Race for the Cure” in Temecula, CA this year!!!!  She finished with a time of 47 minutes, and I did not run with her; she ran on her own; poised herself at the starting line with the “seasoned” runners, and blew my mind with her confidence and excitement!!!!

In summary, I wanted to say a very gracious and warm THANK YOU for instilling a motivation within both of my daughters, particularly Rachel, that never existed to this degree.  She has always been competitive, but has made the 100-mile club very personal, and to date, is at 91 miles!!!!!!!  I am amazed at her stamina and drive, daily.

Very respectfully, from a gracious 100-mile club mom,

Megan J. Martine

Corona Resident

Participant UPDATE, June 2008

Rachel was super motivated to beat her record from last year, and ran 330 miles!!!! Her teacher, Heidi Freeling told the school that Rach had the highest record for the second year in a row!!!!!! She adores the 100-mile-club, and never lets anyone tell her that she has a small foot!!! ;). She loves you and the club SO much!!!! :) Had to share the good news!!!! :)

Megan J. Martine - PROUD 100 MILE CLUB MAMA!!!!!!!!