Last summer I lost my dad after his nearly three year long battle with glioblastoma brain cancer. My dad, Greg Higgens, is the best man I’ve ever met. His love, humor, selflessness, strength, and unwavering faith in Christ, our Lord & Savior, were made even more apparent when the cancer took away his ability to speak clearly and move well. A lifelong runner & cyclist, he was running and biking even after his brain surgery & during his treatments.

Dad was also my first running partner and the one who got me into running. When I was young, our family took a vacation to Myrtle Beach. Dad woke up before my mom, brother, and I to run and when he got back he told us all the awesome stuff he saw on the beach. I thought “Wow, I want to run so I can explore too!” I’ve been a runner for over 20 years now. Running took me across the country from my hometown in Indiana to New Mexico and California on college scholarships. Since then I’ve gotten to run in 5 continents and all across the US. My favorite distance is the marathon.

I’m grateful to get to run the Paris Marathon this year and raise money for cancer research in memory of my dad. Thank you for supporting me and honoring him through your donation. May God bless you and help us in finding a cure for cancer.