Runner Spotlight: Clare
Today’s Runner Spotlight is Clare Sheedy, who will be running the 2024 NYC Marathon in November. Clare is a graduate student at Columbia University who loves animals and can’t wait to run the marathon to support PAWS NY!
Read more about Clare in her Q&A below!
Why did you decide to run the 2024 Marathon? Have you participated in long races in the past?
Running the marathon is never something I envisioned myself doing. Longest I ran before starting training was 10K, so this is quite a difference! I mainly wanted to run to show I can commit to something as challenging as this, and to get myself back into running. Most importantly, I wanted to raise awareness for the amazing work PAWS NY does.
What is your connection to PAWS NY? Why is this cause important to you?
I love animals, I grew up with them and have a cat of my own. When I moved to NYC, I began to miss my family dogs a ton. Although I don’t have the capacity to have my own dog just yet, I did want to help out in any way I could for other peoples dogs. This is how I found PAWS NY! I wanted to see if I could volunteer to walk dogs, which is what I ended up doing starting in the February. I love big dogs and german shepherds, because those were the dogs I primarily grew up with. So when I saw a 100 lb german shepherd needed to be walked a few times a week, I was ecstatic!
Do you have any pets of your own? Did you grow up with pets? Tell us about them!
I have Bear, my 4 year old black cat. I got him during the pandemic when a friend of mine from high school had taken in a pregnant barn cat. He’s been the light of my life and I can’t imagine not having him around. Besides Bear, I grew up with multiple dogs and a family cat. Almost everyone in my family has a pet, so naturally I love them.
What do you do in your free time (besides run)?
I’m in graduate school full time and I work full time, so I don’t have a ton of free time. But when I do, I love to go to the movies, hang out with my partner, and visit my family. I love to go to coffee shops, and I am constantly at PJ Carneys in Manhattan.
We’re so excited to cheer you on as you run Clare! Click here to donate to Clare’s fundraising page or to support the team overall.