After the race

I was delirious, thirsty and shaky legged. I somehow stumbled back to the hotel, went to the bathroom, washed my face and lay on the bed for 20 minutes. I really wanted to see Kulbinder finish her marathon and Jo finish the half so I got up and went back out. As I left the hotel Jo was right there so I walked the rest of the way with her. I am so proud of her she finished walking the half marathon over 30 minutes faster than she expected! Kulbinder finished strong at just over 5 hours. We all stayed at the finish line for hours cheering on our fellow JIMers crossing the finish line. Chris, our JIM trainer, always crosses with the last marathoner. Her name was Britney and she came down the main street of Trieste towards the finish line, the last one on the course, a Canada flag draped over her shoulders, with a police and ambulance escort and her sister running at her side. There was not a dry eye in the house. We all ran behind her as she crossed the finish line. We gathered for photos with the race organizers and then sang O Canada together as a group. The Italians then sang their anthem. It was amazing. We were so welcomed and celebrated as the largest international group to attend the race. I am honored to be part of Joints in Motion - what an amazing experience!!!