CNM Student Secured Sponsorship from American Heart Association to Run In Annual New York City Marathon in November

Selena Winter knows a thing or two about perseverance.

She has both epilepsy and autism and has already earned a bachelor’s of Anthropology from the University of Arizona and is a Certified Nursing Assistant. Now, Selena is attending CNM to obtain her associate degree in Health Sciences so she can attend medical school at UNM, all while getting ready to run the annual New York City Marathon.

“My whole life has been an uphill battle, so I know I have the endurance to run this race,” she says.

As a native New Yorker, Selena always had an interest in running the New York City Marathon. But it wasn’t until her father had a heart attack in November of last year that she decided to take on the 26-mile challenge to show support for her father and raise money for the American Heart Association.

The process of getting sponsored by the American Heart Association was no easy task, but Selena took it in stride and is now an official runner for the American Heart Association Heart and Stroke Team.

“I kept pursuing their sponsorship until I was accepted,” Selena explains. “After about a month I was granted a spot on the team and I’ve been preparing and training ever since.”

As a runner for team Heart and Stroke, Selena receives several benefits leading up to the marathon including guaranteed race entry, access to training programs, coaching from a certified running coach, and a personalized fundraising page.

Ultimately, Selena hopes running in the marathon will not only honor her father and raise money for a worthy cause, but will also inspire other students with learning disabilities to try running for a cause.

“After I complete the marathon, I want to encourage and mentor other students to do something similar,” she says. “Running is just a pair of shoes, so if you have the endurance you can compete. Being involved in something like this, whether you’re running or volunteering, is a great way to build community and can even be added to a resume which is especially important for people with learning disabilities.”

For now, Selena is continuing to train for the big day in November and is excited for the race.

“I’m running from the heart, for the heart, and intend to run my heart out,” she says. “And I am so looking forward to that feeling of triumph at the end.”