Posted: October 4, 2007

Athletics: Counting Down To The 30th Anniversary Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Serving in the Navy exposed Rebecca Risley to a number of life-changing experiences including her introduction to the sport of running. Rebecca will make her marathon debut at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon as a continuation of a life of service as a charity runner for northwest Indiana based Opportunity Enterprises, Inc. WHO: Rebecca Risley AGE: 32 OCCUPATION: Warehousing HOMETOWN: Hobart, Indiana PREVIOUS MARATHONS: Debut RUNNER STORY: Rebecca Risley will be competing in her first marathon at The 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in just a few short days. Though her prior experience in running is limited, she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to run in the special event and to be a member of a team to support non-profit organization Opportunity Enterprises, Inc. She has been surrounded by stories of inspiration of the race and looks forward to being a part of it all. Nearly ten years ago, Rebecca enlisted in the Navy for a number of reasons. She was primarily seeking the educational benefits that the Navy was able to offer, however, she was also excited to serve her country and to travel to places she would not otherwise have the chance to see. After two months of special training, she was stationed in Kuwait at Camp Arifjan. There she was a member of Operation Iraq/Enduring Freedom. As a part of the Navy Customs Unit, she was one of the members responsible for personal gear and equipment inspections for troops on their way home to the United States. While in the military, Rebecca had the opportunity to run with her friends, though she never participated in a race as long or demanding as a marathon. She enjoyed running the occasional 5K and decided she would like to attempt something more challenging. With a little help from her friend, Sonya Kaster, Rebecca has been training for The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. She will be running to support Opportunity Enterprises, Inc., a non-profit organization that focuses on helping disabled children and adults. The charity was founded nearly 40 years ago and has since expanded from helping disabled children to assisting all ages with technology and programs to make their lives easier. Rebecca is proud to be able to assist such an important cause and at the same time represent all those in service of the US military. She is thankful to be back in her homeland and to be in better shape now than when she first left for Kuwait. Running has given her time to reflect on her life and goals. She hopes to complete the marathon while supporting her charity and accomplishing the difficult task of running the entire 26.2 mile road course. RACE INFORMATION: The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday, October 7, 2007 as 45,000 participants advance to the start line, embarking on the culmination of 45,000 personal journeys. Along with the massive field of recreational runners, the 26.2-mile course will welcome a full field of world renowned professional athletes drawn to the flat, fast, urban setting and the potential to break world and national records. The professionals will compete for prize money and points in the World Marathon Majors series which will crown its first male and female champions with $500,000 each at the close of 2007. Since the inception of its charity program in 2002, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has generated more than $27.5 million for a variety of charitable causes including $9.5 million in the 2006 event alone. Registration for the race opened on January 1, 2007 and closed when it reached capacity on April 18. Rebecca’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest