The Little Things for Cancer is excited to welcome Kathleen Lafferty to our 2014 Marine Corps Marathon Team. Kathleen’s running club probably knows her better as KT, like many of our team members she is an active member of the Red Felt Running Club, which introduced KT to the Team TLT4C and the charity.
In 2009 KT suffered an injury at a work resulting in a mass at the front of her leg and a major fascia defect that required surgery. She battled with lawyers and workers compensation for almost 2 years before her former employer agreed to pay for the surgery. She finally had the operation she needed in January 2011 and had to spend the two weeks following on the couch allowing her leg to heal. She realized that “when you can’t do anything, you want to do everything” and she started making a bucket list. First up, she wanted to finish a 5k before her 30th birthday. As soon as she was cleared to walk she started Couch to 5k to prepare for a 5k that spring.
That race was March 20th, 2011, just two months after her surgery and only two weeks after losing her Grandfather to Leukemia. She finished the Max’s O’Hartford 5k in 56:48, last in her age group and third from last overall, but it was one of her proudest moments ever and she felt like her grandfather was there the whole way, willing her to the finish line.
KT grew up with her grandfather right next door in a multi family house in Hartford, CT. When the family moved to Windsor, CT they all lived under one roof. She says he was part of her daily life for so long it was heartbreaking to lose him, and while she’s not sure she’ll ever feel “comfortable or closure with it” she does feel like he is always with her. Since she started running she has thought about finishing a marathon, but running this race with so many of her Red Felt friends and for a cancer charity felt like the right way to honor her grandfather and take the dive into marathons.
Just as excited as KT is to share the MCM experience with her fellow Red Felt Running Club members RFRC and Team TLT4C is equally excited to share the big day with KT. Red Felt’s founder Elena invited KT to the group after seeing her post in a different running group and said “that kind of attitude is what Red Felt is all about”.
Outside of running KT works for TicketNetwork doing everything from sales and support to training. She loves music and going to concerts and she and her boyfriend Rich love Netflix binging. KT has been a vegetarian for over 20 years and enjoys checking out new restaurants and creating new dishes at home. She and Rich have been together for 12 ½ years and live in Vernon, CT, just outside of Hartford, with their cat Hercules who they rescued from a feral cat colony outside their apartment complex.
If you would like to donate to KT please visit: http://makeyeshappen.com/kathleenlafferty
In 2009 KT suffered an injury at a work resulting in a mass at the front of her leg and a major fascia defect that required surgery. She battled with lawyers and workers compensation for almost 2 years before her former employer agreed to pay for the surgery. She finally had the operation she needed in January 2011 and had to spend the two weeks following on the couch allowing her leg to heal. She realized that “when you can’t do anything, you want to do everything” and she started making a bucket list. First up, she wanted to finish a 5k before her 30th birthday. As soon as she was cleared to walk she started Couch to 5k to prepare for a 5k that spring.
That race was March 20th, 2011, just two months after her surgery and only two weeks after losing her Grandfather to Leukemia. She finished the Max’s O’Hartford 5k in 56:48, last in her age group and third from last overall, but it was one of her proudest moments ever and she felt like her grandfather was there the whole way, willing her to the finish line.
KT grew up with her grandfather right next door in a multi family house in Hartford, CT. When the family moved to Windsor, CT they all lived under one roof. She says he was part of her daily life for so long it was heartbreaking to lose him, and while she’s not sure she’ll ever feel “comfortable or closure with it” she does feel like he is always with her. Since she started running she has thought about finishing a marathon, but running this race with so many of her Red Felt friends and for a cancer charity felt like the right way to honor her grandfather and take the dive into marathons.
Just as excited as KT is to share the MCM experience with her fellow Red Felt Running Club members RFRC and Team TLT4C is equally excited to share the big day with KT. Red Felt’s founder Elena invited KT to the group after seeing her post in a different running group and said “that kind of attitude is what Red Felt is all about”.
Outside of running KT works for TicketNetwork doing everything from sales and support to training. She loves music and going to concerts and she and her boyfriend Rich love Netflix binging. KT has been a vegetarian for over 20 years and enjoys checking out new restaurants and creating new dishes at home. She and Rich have been together for 12 ½ years and live in Vernon, CT, just outside of Hartford, with their cat Hercules who they rescued from a feral cat colony outside their apartment complex.
If you would like to donate to KT please visit: http://makeyeshappen.com/kathleenlafferty