What I Hope This Becomes

Rebuild the Shield is officially live.

Seeing those words on the screen feels strange—in a good way. What started as an idea, a symbol and a message I wasn’t entirely sure how to explain now has a home.

But launching this site was never the finish line. I hope to make it the starting line.

So, what do I hope Rebuild the Shield becomes?

First, I hope it becomes a place where people can be honest.

There is no shortage of epic highlight reels online. We see the finish lines, the celebrations and the moments when everything appears to be going right. We don’t always see the grief, uncertainty, setbacks and battles that people keep to themselves.

I want to share both.

I want to talk about rebuilding after loss, starting over to a degree at 59, working toward difficult goals and learning how to keep moving when life doesn’t go according to plan. Some days that may mean running a few miles. Other days it may mean simply getting up, showing up and taking the next step.

Because rebuilding isn’t one dramatic moment.

It happens gradually—in choices, habits, conversations and small victories that may not look significant to anyone else.

I also hope this becomes a way to give back.

Boston Children’s Hospital has been an important part of my life for many years. Applying to return to their marathon team wasn’t only about running another marathon. It was about reconnecting with a purpose that means something to me and using the miles for something larger than myself.

Whether Boston happens or the road leads somewhere unexpected, giving back will remain part of Rebuild the Shield.

I hope this becomes a community, too—not necessarily the biggest one, but a real one.

A place for people who have been knocked down, changed direction, lost someone, questioned themselves or wondered whether it was too late to begin again. A place where we can encourage one another without pretending to have all the answers.

I certainly don’t.

I’m still learning. I’m still grieving. I’m still figuring out what this next chapter looks like. This website, the videos, the training and everything that follows will grow alongside me.

Tomorrow, I’m heading away for a few days with people I care about. There will be plenty of walking, laughing and probably a little chaos. It is a reminder that rebuilding also means allowing yourself to enjoy life while it is happening—not waiting until every problem is solved or every goal is reached.

Rebuild the Shield will continue to evolve. There will be stories about training, family, loss, resilience, adventure and giving back. There will be successes worth celebrating and plans that need to change.

Through all of it, the purpose will remain the same:

To keep moving forward.

To help where I can.

And perhaps to remind someone else that even after life leaves a few dents in the shield, it can still be carried proudly.

This is only the beginning.