I'm participating in the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon as a member of Team Imerman Angels.
I have deep ties to Chicago. My dad grew up here and my grandfather lived right off of Lake Shore until he passed a few years ago. My grandmother is still here. I’ve loved visiting this town since I was a kid, and Micaela and I came this close to moving to the Chi in 2014. We have dear friends in and just outside of the city. My affinity with the Windy City, its culture, food, museums, and sports teams has been part of my identity for as long as I can remember. I am honored to run my first major marathon in Chicago. I think it’s only right.
Perhaps cliché, but safe to say, if you’re reading this, your life has been affected by cancer. I’ve lost loved ones, have others who have battled or are battling.
My personal journey, if you will, was scary and eye-opening but my skin cancer was far from life-threatening. Still, no 29-year old wants to hear a dermatologist say that his “days in the sun are over.”
But mine is not much of a story. I am dedicating this race (and guaranteeing a PR) to one of my best friends, Todd Stolarski, who introduced me to this truly special, rather brilliant organization. I believe whole-heartedly in the mission of Imerman Angels and let’s just say that I plan to run an inspired race. Oh, and don’t worry: Todd is still most certainly alive and well!
Todd and I met in Los Angeles working on a television series. We’ve collaborated on numerous endeavors, compiled some incredible lists, and shared myriad adventures. Amazing to think we’ve now been friends for over twenty years. I can’t imagine getting to know Todd and not loving the guy. He is one of my favorite people and Imerman Angels means so much to him. This is one of the warmest, most decent, intelligent, funny, loyal, loving, positive, courageous, creative, unflinchingly genuine and unique humans out there. It’s okay that he’s a Pistons fan. If you will, please take a moment to read his story in his words:
A few weeks before Thanksgiving 2013 in Los Angeles, I was getting ready to leave my apartment in the early afternoon to run errands—aka go to the record store. Without warning, I lost all control of the right side of my body. From head to toe, I was uncontrollably shaking on only that one side. I immediately took a taxi to the nearest hospital in Chinatown, where the intake nurse initially assumed I was intoxicated.
After three days of testing, doctors determined I had a brain tumor that needed to be removed immediately. The neurosurgeon said he could operate within days, but cautioned there was a 50/50 chance the procedure could leave me permanently speechless. My family in Detroit insisted on a second opinion.
I woke up on a snowy Thanksgiving morning with fifty-seven staples in my skull after a seven-hour craniotomy. I was awake and speaking as my medical team delicately removed 80% of an oligodendroglioma tumor. Over the next three weeks, I couldn’t talk—but I could eat. A lot. I gained 56 pounds in 21 days.
As 2014 began, my sister connected me with her friend in Chicago and fellow Wolverine alumnus, Jonny I. While I was recovering and preparing to begin chemotherapy, Jonny made time to speak with me. He patiently let me pick his brain as I was healing mine.
Having just relearned the alphabet, while still regaining the use of my primary hand, taking notes wasn’t easy. But during our nearly two-hour conversation, Jonny explained the power of one-to-one connection and the ethos of Imerman Angels. Instantly, I knew my purpose.
Once I was healthy enough, I was matched with a patient. Since then, I’ve mentored five individuals with the same diagnosis—living in Chicago, New York, California, the U.K., and within the American prison system.
In this organization, my role is known as a Mentor Angel. To me, the true angels are those running this charity, this marathon, the generous donors, and all of the resilient patients.
So, yeah. Thanks for checking out my page. It's my goal to raise as much as I can for this incredible cause and I’m asking for your help. Will you join with me by making a tax-deductible donation? It’s fast and easy to do, and many will benefit from your generosity.
Imerman Angels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide comfort and understanding for all cancer fighters, survivors, previvors and caregivers through a personalized one-on-one connection with someone who has been there. Imerman Angels envisions a world where cancer is not a solitary experience. Through its unique matching process, Imerman Angels partners individuals seeking cancer support with a "Mentor Angel" who provides psychosocial support and support to anyone facing cancer. To learn more about the important work your efforts will support, click HERE or view the short video below:
