My daughter Savannah is 8 years old. She's sweet, she's loving, she's got a sassy streak that keeps our whole house on its toes... and she is the love of my life.

Savannah was diagnosed with autism at age 3. Since then, our family has been on a journey I don't think most fully understand: learning to navigate resources, sort through information, understand diagnoses, and figure out what our child actually needs. My husband and I have worked hard to educate ourselves and become Savannah's fiercest advocates.

That's why I'm running for the Organization for Autism Research. OAR is built around research and information, providing the tools that help families like ours actually find support in a world that's not built for neurodivergent people. Their work is the difference between feeling alone and feeling supported.

Tokyo won't be my first marathon by a long shot, but I'll be running with Savannah in every mile because she's my 'why'.