A MESSAGE FROM Sophia's Big Sur Marathon Fundraiser 🌊
Hello and thank you for your generous donation
in support of greater mental health awareness and educational resources to schools and communities with the Minding Your Mind organization.
My name is Sophia Medallon. I am running my first marathon with Team Minding Your Mind in Big Sur, California on April 28, 2024. Every step on race day, during training, and even on the toughest days that we sometimes struggle to get through will help in understanding and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health challenges. One of my role models and fellow marathon runners, Alan Turing, who tragically took his own life in 1954, wrote a letter on the "Nature of Spirit" to grieve a lost love and contemplate the mind-body problem:
"As regards the question of why we have bodies at all; why we do not or cannot live free as spirits and communicate as such, we probably could do so but there would be nothing whatever to do. The body provides something for the spirit to look after and use."
The human condition, as experienced by our unique bodies, can be regulated, improved, and mastered with the gift of evolutionary motion. While I am only taking the first steps in my running journey, my wellness journey will always be life-long. Throughout my healing and self-discovery, I have learned to prioritize my mental health and physical fitness. Yet, I haven't found a better analogue of honing fortitude and perseverance, both in mind and body, than running. With every determined and renewed breath, my problems feel small and the distances on this Pale Blue Dot vast.
- In November + October 2023, I ran two half-marathon races on the East coast.
- In October 2023, I ran over 100 miles and fundraised during the month of October for To Write Love On Her Arms, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.
- In March 2023, I published my first blog post titled "Happiness" to share my mental health challenges and encourage others to find their joys.
- In February 2023, I ran my first distance over 3.1 miles/5 km.
Feel free to share this on your socials and spread the word <3
Photos & Videos
