This summer, I achieved something that I never thought that I could do; I finished my first 5K.

It all started, when one of my close family friends became an ambassador for a cancer awareness run called the Night Nation Run. The whole thing was an interesting concept; it was an evening 5K followed by a full concert and “rave.” The whole atmosphere was more like that of a party than that of a formal run. My friend decided to invite all of our family friends, parents and kids, to do the 5K with her. While this has happened in the past, it has usually just been the adults on a more formal type of run. At first, I was planning on skipping the race and meeting everyone after for dinner, but at the insistence of my friend, I decided to go to the run and hang out with my dad, while everyone else completed the 5K.

I had never planned to walk a 5K. While at the run, my dad and I decided that we would at least start the walk to cheer everyone else on, and then turn around and wait for them at the finish. However, a quarter of a mile quickly became half, and then one, and then two, and before we knew it, we were at the finish line, and I had just finished my first 5K!

The journey was tough, especially considering that I begin to feel exhausted after a mere half-mile walk. I think two things got me through this journey. The first was that I took it in pieces. If I had set out to walk the entire five kilometers, I probably never would have even started it. However, because I had not planned to walk it, I was able to break it into chunks and set milestone goals along the way. More importantly, however, was the support and motivation from my family and friends. I am so grateful to be surrounded by people who inspire, motivate, and care about me. For example, I would never have even gone to a run like this if my friend had not insisted that I do. Even during the race, another one of my friends, and my uncle walked with me and my dad the entire way motivating me to keep going no matter what my pace.

I learned that you can achieve any goal that you set for yourself, as long as you break it up into smaller chunks that are easier to accomplish. Also, friends and family are a blessing, especially when they can help you push your limits and step outside of your comfort zone.