For Elmont native Raquelle Vega, helping others has always been at the forefront of her mind. That doesn’t mean the 24-year-old ever anticipated lacing up her sneakers and setting out on a journey to train for a half marathon. Yet Vega finds herself a month away from heading off to San Francisco where she will compete in a half marathon as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training.
Vega, a 2006 graduate of Elmont Memorial High School and graduate of Queens College returned to her alma mater to work as a teaching assistant in Elmont’s Special Education Department. A friend introduced Vega to the idea of running for a cause, but a half marathon seemed like too much Vega reflected. “At first I was like there’s no possible way I could run that far,” she said.
After attending a meeting of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training, Vega said she felt like she had to help if she could. She will be running for a young child who suffers from a blood cancer. Putting a face and family to the cause really encouraged Vega to commit herself to training she said. Working in special education, Vega said she has always been moved to help those less fortunate than herself. “I’m into learning about people with illnesses and disabilities,” she said. “I am very moved people that suffer from certain things and kids especially.”
Though Vega said she was committed to the cause, getting out the front door and running on the streets was not an easy step. Having played softball in high school, Vega said she was active but rarely ran beyond three-miles. “I would run but not nearly as much,” Vega said. “It was never a big part of my life until I decided to take this venture.”
