I will complete the 13.1-mile run at the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon in California on July 20, 2008 to raise funds and awareness for research leading to improved treatment options and a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 17 and have experienced many ups and downs associated with this disease. Today I’m a third-year journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. My disease is currently in remission and I am ready to embark on this physical and mental journey.

This life long illness has affected my life in many ways. Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases, commonly referred to as IBD. Crohn’s disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body actually attacks itself. Crohn's disease makes a small part of my colon swollen and inflamed. This can make it very hard to eat certain foods because it is painful when the food passes through my digestive tract, and results in terrible stomach cramps, fevers, weight loss, aches and pains, arthritis, and ulcers.

It is estimated that as many as 1.4 million Americans have IBD and many people suffer in silence due to potential embarrassment and alienation. Crohn’s disease may occur in people of all ages, but it is primarily a disease of adolescents and young adults, affecting mainly those between 15 and 35.

Together, we can make a difference! As a Team Challenge participant, I have a coach, a training program and teammates to support me. I have committed to a training schedule with workouts with my team on the weekends, and I’ve promised to raise $3600 in donations to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. With your help, we can do this together I AM MOTIVATED! I AM COMMITTED!!

I hope you agree with me about the importance of this cause. Please help support me by contributing anything you can. A minimum of 80 cents per dollar raised by CCFA goes directly to research and patient support, and your contribution is tax deductible. Contributing money is a powerful way to be involved when you can’t give your time. Together we can help the millions of IBD sufferers world wide by finding a cure for this debilitating disease.

With my sincere thanks,

Alaethia Holub