Spotlight: Cindy Chin Levine

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random) 

My grandma: Po Chu Chong or better known as "Nin-nin" as we would call her in Chinese for paternal grandmother. Mom to my dad and uncle, mother-in-law to my mom and aunt and grandmother to me, my brother, David and cousins, Jeremy and Michael plus sister to six brothers and sisters and aunt to many nieces and nephews. I am her only granddaughter and I am the oldest grandchild; some days I like to think that made me special! :-)

Growing up, I have incredible memories of my grandma and grandpa coming to visit us and bringing so many goodies from Chinatown. Every time they came though, it was always so much fun - we'd hang out in our backyard, my grandpa would try to buy us Italian ice when the ice cream truck came, visit my aunt, uncle and cousins, go bowling, Chinese New Year celebrations, Thanksgiving, celebrating my grandma's and my birthday together, so many memories... We've been to Canada, Virginia, California, the top of the Empire State Building, cruises and even Sesame Place! 

My grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when I was in college, but it was still in the early stages. However, when my grandpa passed away in 2005, her condition worsened. At my wedding in June 2009, it took a lot of persuasion and cajoling before my brother was able to escort her down the aisle.

In March 2011, she passed away. Her services were on Saturday and Sunday (March 19 and 20, 2011) and that was the Sunday of the NYC half-marathon. I remember vividly speaking with my dad and cousins that we should make sure the road closures wouldn't affect us getting into the city that day. And something clicked that moment - I probably even said out loud that I was going to run the half-marathon and fundraise for Alzheimer's. I didn't know even know if the Alzheimer's Association had a team for the half-marathon, but I just knew I wanted to do it.

Why the NYC Marathon? It was that moment that I knew if I wanted to run a half-marathon, the first one had to be in NYC. I was born in NYC, my grandparents lived in the Bronx (and my grandma eventually moved to Flushing towards the later years of her life), my dad was born and raised in the Bronx and I have family living in every boro of New York; it's home. So I contacted the Alzheimer's Association NYC Chapter a couple months after my grandma passed away to inquire about the half-marathon for 2012. I was so early in the process... so they shared with me different ways I could stay in involved and it wasn't until after the 2011 NYC Marathon that I realized the 2012 NYC Marathon would be on the day of my grandma's birthday - November 4, 2012. And that is how I decided it was fate, and that 13.1 miles more isn't that big of a deal if it is fate! ;-)

I'm so excited to be on the Alzheimer's Association Run 2 Remember team and so scared thinking about November 4, 2012, but every stride I make will be in memory of my grandma and that will keep me powering through all 26.2 miles.

I am blogging my training experience, feel free to learn more about my story and check-in on my progress at: http://blog.cindychin.com/.