As we gear up for the excitement of the Boston Marathon®, we’re highlighting each of the athletes our team chose to head to Beantown! We received so many heartfelt stories from applicants, and it was excruciatingly difficult to only pick 13. Each story truly inspired us, and we think they’ll inspire you too! While we’re still weeks out from the race, we wanted to share each person’s story before the big day.
After a shocking health diagnosis in 2019, iFIT member Julianna Santiago was determined to make significant changes in her life. She’s done just that, from years of watching the Boston Marathon® on television to running it in person in just a few weeks!
Julianna’s story
The chance to run the 2021 Boston Marathon® is truly a childhood dream come true. I grew up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and have watched the race live every year on Patriot’s Day. I would watch in awe from the comfort of my couch and believe that no one like me could ever do such an amazing thing as run a marathon, let alone the Boston with its Heartbreak Hill! I had struggled with obesity most of my life until it came to a head two years ago when I received a new diabetes diagnosis. After a week in the hospital, I left on insulin multiple times per day and a new resolve to do whatever I could to improve my health. I started walking, and a few months later, I started running. Over the next year, I lost a lot of weight and gained the most beautiful life!
Last year, I set a goal to run the Cape Cod Marathon virtually and realized I had become the athlete I had always dreamt of being. I’m not particularly fast (although I’m working on this with the expert help of iFIT Trainers Knox Robinson, Tommy Rivs Puzey, Ashley Paulson, and other incredible Trainers!), but I have learned how strong I am in body and mind. My fitness journey started a while ago, but with the help of iFIT this year, I have hit many incredible milestones and run farther and faster than I knew I could. I’ve met an inspirational group of athletes and trainers all while traveling vast distances around the world from my treadmill I’ve nicknamed Thunderbolt!
I am genuinely grateful for iFIT and the continued inspiration and strength you provide for me, my husband, and so many others in the iFIT family! It is my greatest honor to represent the iFIT brand and family at the Boston Marathon®! I have been training and planning to run it on my own with the incomparable Ashley Paulson this October. What a realization of a beautiful dream it is to run alongside other iFIT athletes live and in person at one of the most prestigious marathons in the world (that happens to be right here in my awesome home state of Massachusetts!). Thank you so much, iFIT, for this opportunity and so many others!
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.
Opinions of iFIT members are not necessarily the opinions of iFIT.
