Two Willowbrook seniors participate in Chicago Marathon to raise funds for World Vision

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When Willowbrook seniors Mary Whiting and Annabelle Romero met on the school bus 10 years ago, they never imagined it would lead to years of friendship.

Through the years, Whiting and Romero have worked together at the same company, competed on the same athletic teams and enrolled in the same classes at school. And they recently experienced a new adventure when they participated in the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11.

Whiting said she ran in junior high school, but never considered taking on a marathon. It was an overwhelmingly ambitious goal, and one she didn’t think she could achieve. But when she and Romero heard their church, Parkview Community Church in Glen Ellyn, was going to form a team of about 60 people to run in the Chicago Marathon and raise funds for World Vision (a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice), they knew they needed to get involved and make a difference.

“It was never about running a marathon,” Whiting said. “It was about helping others and running for a cause and purpose.”

The group started training in February, and Whiting and Romero said the comradery carried them through the long and challenging process. Romero also had her family by her side, as they’ve been part of the Chicago Marathon since 2019. In the end, Parkview Community Church raised $300,000, and Whiting and Romero raised about $5,500 combined. The girls said they couldn’t believe the generosity and support they received, including from staff members at Willowbrook.

Whiting and Romero said it was an incredible accomplishment to complete a marathon, but they gained much more from the experience. They learned they were capable of pushing themselves further; they were able to celebrate their success as part of a team; and they bettered the lives of others. They added that they plan to run in the marathon again.

“We did this for World Vision, not for us, so this isn’t our accomplishment – it’s for them,” Whiting and Romero said.

For more information about World Vision, go to https://www.teamworldvision.org. For more information about the Chicago Marathon, go to https://www.chicagomarathon.com.