Walking has been a simple but important way for me to reconnect with my health. Becoming a first-time mom while returning to school and learning how to balance school and work with family life made it really hard to find time for myself. When Covid hit, it was even harder to figure out how to stay healthy and safe.

For me, things started to turn around when Disneyland re-opened and I realized that I could enjoy walking there. It was nerve-wracking being around people at first and I was so out of shape! Now, I regularly walk and hike and I'm training for a half marathon.

I don't take my good health for granted. I've seen family members struggle with chronic illness and I know how scary it is whenever my son's health is in question. Through the CHOC Walk, I am hoping to further harness the power of walking to help the children and families served by the CHOC hospitals.

The CHOC Walk on Sunday, August 20, 2023 will be an early morning 5K walk through Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park. Proceeds from this event will support health care programs, education, and research at CHOC and CHOC at Mission Hospitals. Many thanks in advance for helping us make a difference for the children and families of Orange County!