www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 16, 2007 - 21 Oakville woman bound for Alaskan cancer fundraiser Rosanna Marano preparing for Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF An Oakville woman is preparing to face the mother of all challenges in an effort to strike a blow against cancer. Rosanna Marano, 36, is getting ready to participate in the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon that will take place in Anchorage, Alaska on June. 23. As part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Marano is trying to raise $6,000 that will mostly go towards cancer research in Canada. The full marathon is 42km with participants having the option of completing half. Marano has not decided which one she will go for. As far as training for such a gargantuan feat of athleticism is concerned, Marano is pretty much starting from scratch. "I walked several local marathons about three or four years ago, before the baby," she said. "Having been inactive for the last three years I'm not sure how resilient my body is going to be at bouncing back." Rosanna Marano Fortunately Marano is not alone in her training process with Team in Training coaches helping her and other members prepare for the marathon. "We meet once a week with the group and we train and then we get our (training) schedules for the week and it's up to us to do our own thing," said Marano. The following week the coaches meet again with Marano to check on her progress and then decide where to go from there. "We started on Sunday with a 5km kick off walk. It's great, especially in this weather." The GTA's current frigid temperatures are in stark contrast to the running conditions Marano will face in Alaska this summer. "I was looking at the temperatures and I think it will be equivalent to our spring or fall and of course there will be 24-hour sun," said Marano, remarking on the fact that because it will be summer solstice when she goes to Alaska the sun will not set the whole time she is there. "I've spoken to participants who ran last year and they said it was actually hot." Whatever the temperature the marathon is sure to be extraordinary as 3,500 participants, about 2,000 of them Team in Training personnel from all across North America, make the great journey through Anchorage's trail system. With the Chugach Mountains to the east and the Cook Inlet to the west the setting is said to be one of exceptional beauty. Marano's motivations for getting involved in this fundraising trek for cancer research are all too clear. "I lost my dad, Ettore Marano, four years ago to cancer," she said. Since then Marano has struggled with finding a way to honour her father for things he did for her and the rest of his family while she was growing up. She says that by raising money for cancer research and completing this marathon she is making such a gesture. "I was just drawn to this. I saw an advertisement, it hit me and I just felt in my heart that this was something I needed to do," she said. The birth of Marano's first child Sueva has also played a role in convincing Marano to take on Alaska's great marathon. "I want to do this for her as well. I want to be a good role model for her." Sueva and Marano's husband, Joe Falcone, have served as pillars of strength that have given Marano the motivation to go for training runs when subzero temperatures await her outside. "He supports me in everything that I do. Without him and my family I don't think I'd be here at this point in my life. It really helps when you come from a loving family," said Marano. "He's my number one cheerleader." Marano has been blown away by the positive response she has received since beginning her fundraising efforts with $225 raised so far. "I've just started soliciting people through email and it's amazing, people are emailing me that don't even know me," she said. "I was actually in tears when I saw all these emails coming back at me. People really do care and so that's getting me pumped too." Anyone wishing to contact Marano can email her at rosannamarano@sympatico.ca. To make a donation go to www.active.com/donate/tnttor/tnttorRMaran o. Dental EMERGENCY? If you are in pain, call us right now! DO NOT PAY UNTIL First 30 Customers will receive a handmade 2008! * 8'x10' CHINESE ** AREA RUG (value of $699) FREE February Flooring Event! 2 DAYS ONLY! SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17TH & SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18TH! 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