In honour of...

I did it last year and I'm doing it again...the City2Surf in honour of my grandfather.

My beloved Nonno Michele passed away in November 2010 after battling stomach cancer. My Nonno went through a lot in his life and I was always inspired by his strength. He loved his hometown in Reggio Calabria, Italy and said that the happiest moment of his life was when he met my grandmother, Nonna Maria. Not long after they were married, Nonno was drafted and sent to battle in World War II. He became a prisoner of war and he never told us much about this time, only that he survived because of his short stature (as the bullets would fly right over the top of his head)!

Nonno travelled to Australia in the 1950s, in search of a better life for him and his family. He worked hard for many years at Diary Farmers and he did a fantastic job of providing for his family. For the last few years of his life, my Nonno was very sick. No matter how much pain he was in, he still managed to keep his sense of humour and keep us smiling with his jokes. He was a strong man, and no matter what life threw at him, he fought back. He was a true soldier and he fought a hard battle. I miss him very, very much.

Cancer is a terrible disease and my hope is that they will one day find a cure.

My husband Alfie and I took up he challenge last year and ran the 14km City2Surf race. It was a deeply emotional experience and I know that Nonno ran with us every step of the race. We raised over $1100 for the Cancer Council NSW and I was so proud of our achievements. (Read more about my first ever City2Surf in this post.)

This year TEAM Nonno Michele Soldiers On is born! My brother Mario and sister Kristina join Alfie and I and we look forward to racing together as a family, in honour of our beautiful Nonno.

Nonno Michele soldiers on...that is, he lives on within our hearts. We are his soldiers and we're on a mission to raise funds for the Cancer Council NSW. You can find our fundraising page here. If you can spare a few dollars, please get behind us and donate...and let's help find a cure!

Are you planning to compete in the City2Surf?

The 2011 City2Surf

This was originally posted on Monday 29th August 2011.

On Sunday 14th August, I competed in my very first City2Surf race. The City2Surf is a popular road running event held annually in Sydney, covering a 14km (8.7mi) course. The event is a "fun run" as well as a race, attracting both serious runners and community participants who can choose to run or to walk. The largest timed running race in the world, the event attracts more than 80,000 entrants who start in staggered groups based on previous running times and early entry.

This year my husband (Alfie) and I were in the Westpac Yellow Start group. We ran in memory of my beloved Nonno and raised much needed funds for the Cancer Council NSW.

Here is our fundraising page, which outlined our reasons for doing the race. . .

The morning of the race was a very emotional one. Alfie and I visited Nonno at the cemetery and I had a good cry. I told Nonno that I was running for him and was going to do my very best. My personal goal was to complete the race in under 2 hours.

It was pouring rain as we drove to the city, but it didn't dampen our spirits. . .we were pumped and ready for the race! The atmosphere in the city was awesome! There were smiling faces everywhere. . .and some very neat costumes!

Some of the lovely characters who competed in C2S 2011!

Alfie and I were proudly wearing our Cancer Council NSW singlets. The photos of Nonno were pinned to the front and back of my shirt. Nonno was there with me every step of the way.

We were at the back of the pack, so it took us a little while to get to the start line. The view from the top of the hill was amazing. . .so many people - all sharing the same goal. . .to successfully complete City2Surf 2011.

People lined the streets and cheered us on! Street performers and DJ's were spaced around the course to entertain us as we jogged by. . .everyone was so encouraging! About 20 minutes into the race, a gentlemen jogged beside me and asked if the photos I had pinned to my shirt were of my grandfather. I said they were, and he commended me on what I was doing. As he ran off, tears were streaming down my face. This race was special. . .I just hadn't realised how special!

Heartbreak Hill (the halfway point) is renowned for being the toughest part of the course. . .and they weren't wrong! It's over a kilometre uphill and pretty tough on the body. I was so excited to reach the 7km mark. . .in under an hour!

As we neared Bondi Beach, a women ran past and congratulated me on my efforts. . .that was it - the waterworks started again! As we ran closer and closer to the finish line, I became more and more teary! Turning the corner and seeing Bondi Beach was one of the greatest moments of the race. I was almost there. . .I had done it!

The last 400m was extremely emotional. . .with tears streaming, I held onto Nonno's photo and we ran to the finish line. I was so proud of myself and hoped that Nonno was proud of me too.

My time. . .1hr 57min 11sec - I HAD ACHIEVED MY GOAL!

We went back to cemetery in the afternoon and placed our medal and bib next to Nonno's photo. He was with me throughout the entire race and we did it together!

The City2Surf was an amazing experience, and I look forward to competing again next year. It was such a big achievement for me and I'm so proud of myself. We raised over $1100 for the Cancer Council NSW. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored us. XXX