UNun ugijima umjaho wokunyathela, ukhuphula imali yabampofu baseChicago

Ngenkathi iChicago Marathon ikhanseliwe ngenxa ye-coronavirus, udadewabo uStephanie Baliga wanquma ukugqoka abaqeqeshi bakhe futhi agijime amamayela ajwayelekile angama-42,2 egumbini elingaphansi kwesigodlo sakhe.

Kwaqala njengesethembiso. UBaliga utshele ithimba lakhe eligijimayo ukuthi uma kwenzeka esula, uzogijima umjaho wokunyathelisa ukuze aqoqe imali yokuthenga ukudla kweMission of Our Lady of the Angels eChicago. Wayehlela ukukwenza ngokwakhe, eqala ngo-4 ekuseni, ngomculo ovela kusitiriyo.

"Kodwa-ke umngani wami ungikholisile ukuthi lolu uhlobo oluthile lwento engasile abantu abaningi abangayenzi," esho. "Ukuthi abantu abaningi abawenzi ama-marathoni ku-treadmill egumbini elingaphansi nokuthi kufanele ngazise abanye abantu."

Futhi ngakho-ke ukugijima kwakhe kuka-Agasti 23 kwasakazwa bukhoma ku-Zoom futhi kwathunyelwa ku-YouTube. Ngalolo suku, indela eneminyaka engu-32 ubudala yagqoka ifulegi laseMelika futhi yagijima eceleni kwezithombe zikaSt. Francis Assisi neVirgin Mary.

Isixuku sabantu abanomsindo esiseChicago, ebesigijima iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye edlule, besingasekho. Kepha usenokumamatheka kwabangane besikole samabanga aphakeme nabasekolishi, abefundisi kanye namalungu omndeni avele esikrinini futhi amjabulisa.

"Kubukeka sengathi kuvumele abantu ukuthi bathole isikhuthazo, injabulo nenjabulo kulesi sikhathi sobunzima obukhulu kubantu abaningi," kusho uBaliga. "Ngithinteke kakhulu ngosizo olungajwayelekile abantu abaningi abangibonise lolu hambo."

Ngesikhathi egijima, wathandazela irosari, wathandazela abalandeli bakhe, futhi okubaluleke kakhulu, wathandazela abantu abathole leligciwane kanye nalabo ababekwa bodwa ngesikhathi senhlekelele ye-COVID-19.

“Lokhu akulutho uma kuqhathaniswa nalokhu abantu abaningi ababhekane nabo ngalesi sifo,” kusho yena.

Imizuzu yokugcina engama-30, noma kunjalo, ibikhathaza.

“Bengithandazela ukuthi ngikwazi ukuphumelela ngingawi ngisinde,” kusho yena.

Ukucindezela kokugcina kwavela ekubonakaleni okungalindelekile kukaDeena Kastor, owathola indondo yethusi kuma-Olympic ngo-2004. “Ufana neqhawekazi lami ebuntwaneni, ngakho bekumangalisa,” kusho uBaliga. "Lokhu kungiphazamise ebuhlungwini."

UBaliga uphinde wathumela isikhathi sakhe semizuzu engama-3, imizuzu engama-33 kuGuinness World Records ngomjaho ophelelwe yisikhathi we-treadmill.

“Isizathu esenza ngakwazi ukukwenza kungenxa yokuthi akekho owayeke wakwenza phambilini,” emamatheka.

Okubaluleke kakhulu, umjaho wakhe wokunyathela kuze kube manje useqoqe imali engaphezulu kwama- $ 130.000 ngokuzibandakanya komphakathi emsebenzini wakhe.

UBaliga, owaqala ukugijima eneminyaka engu-9, phambilini wayencintisana e-Division I enqamula ezweni futhi elandelela amaqembu e-University of Illinois, lapho afundela khona ezomnotho nezokuma komhlaba. Uthe impilo yakhe yashintsha ngemuva komkhuleko onamandla wezwa ubizo lokuba yindela.

Kepha iBaliga iqhubeke nokugijima. Ngemuva kokujoyina i-Order of the Eucharist yaseFranciscan eChicago, wethule iqembu eligijima le-Our Lady of the Angels ukuqoqa imali yabampofu.

“Sonke sidlala le ndima ebaluleke kakhulu. Zonke izenzo zethu zixhumene, ”kusho yena. "Kubaluleke kakhulu, ikakhulukazi ngalesi sikhathi, lapho abantu abaningi bezizwa bebodwa futhi bekude, ukuthi abantu baqhubeke nokuzidela ngenxa yomunye nomunye futhi babe nomusa