Marathon is simulated, but her cause is for real
Oak Lawn teacher has raised more than $12K in last 12 Chicago races
Sure, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School teacher Kathy Ogean is proud she has finished 12 ChicagoMarathons in the past 12 years.
Yes, she can brag that since her firstmarathon time of 5 hours, 30 minutes, she has shaved off more than an hour over the years.
But the biggest thing for the Oak Lawn resident is the money.
Show her the money. She will take care of it fromthere.
She’s used her 12 marathon efforts to raise money — the first 10 for theMake-A-Wish Foundation and the previous two for the Live Like Abby organization.
“I’m always gladwhen I finish the race,” she said. “I always feel that I am lucky to be healthy enough to finish a race like that. But I am the happiest when I reach fundraising goals to help with those causes. I’ve always reached $1,000 and I always feel like I have to break at least $1,000. I like the fact my school community (District 123) has always been so supportive — not just of my running, but the causes.”
COVID-19 concerns shut down the 2020 Chicago Marathon, which would have taken place Sunday throughout the downtown area.
But that isn’t stopping Ogean, aMotherMcAuley graduate and ArcherHeights native, fromrunning or raising money.
The marathon is allowing times to be recorded in a virtual race in a window that started Monday and ends Sunday. Ogean will make her 26.2-mile attempt at 7 a.m. Saturday on a course through the Oak Lawn area she helped design with an app.
As it turns out, she will be passing all six District 123 schools: her own school as well as Covington, Hannum, Hometown, Kolmar and Sward. Each school will have its owncheering section. Parent groups have game-planned stations in which water and Gatorade will be supplied to her, just like a regular marathon.
“I am floored by what the school community is doing,” Ogean said. “These people are crazy. It’s so nice of them. I amso overwhelmed.”
Last week, she nailed her $1,000 goal and now is crossing her fingers to bring $2,000 to the Live Like Abby Foundation, a partner of the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, also known as Live Like John.
The area foundation is namedforAbbyWujcik, an 8-year-old from Oak Lawn whodied of brain cancer in 2013.
Ogean taught Abby’s older sister Morgan and lives in the same neighborhood as Abby’s uncle, Brian Wujcik, the athletic director at Richards High School.
“I didn’t know Abby personally but I knew so many people who knew her,” Ogean said. “I became aware of her story. After raising money for Make-A-Wish, I wanted something a little more personal and it was personal with this family. Two years ago she would have been an eighth grader at our school.”
Abby’s parents, Kevin and Kristyn, said theywere happy Ogean has been not only a runner raising money for the organization, but that she has also served on the planning committee in recent years.
“Kathy is a really great person, and she is really generous,” Kristyn said. “She’s very enthusiastic. We love working with her and she’s really committed to helping us, which is greatly appreciated.”
The foundation’s biggest source of money is a walkathon, which had to be canceled this year because of the pandemic. A virtual race netted $3,000 according to the walkathon’s website. Organizers were hoping for $30,000.
“That was a bit of a bummer,” Kevin said. “It’s been a challenging year. Everybody’s going through it right now.”
A few years ago, Kevin and Kristyn moved to Colorado but are still active in the foundation. Because of the pandemic, they will not be in town Saturday during the run.
“If not for COVID, we would have been back in town two or three times,” Kevin said. “But our hearts are still there. We will have many people from the foundation there rooting her on and manning stations and we will be in communication during the race from here.”
Ogean may be running alone for most of the race, but she plans onhaving her husband, Keith, and son, Joshua, pace her toward the end. Her daughter, Jordan, will be updating Kathy’s progress for fans via social media.
Kathy, 42, said she didn’t start running until she was 30. She said she never envisioned herself as a long-distance runner but once she started, she immersed herself in it.
“It makes me feel stronger,” she said. “When I am off of running for a while because I get too busy, I literally feel it. I never regret waking up early to run or go on the treadmill. I never regret running when I am tired. I always feel better, stronger and it is therapeutic.”
To make a donation, go to livelikejohn.org.