Bryce Kristall Will Run in Memory of Her Mom, Felice Kristall, Who Was Lost to Lung Cancer
(Long Island, NY) While Bryce Kristall of Dix Hills considers herself an athlete, having been a division III collegiate soccer player at SUNY New Paltz, she never thought she would describe herself as a “marathon runner.” But that is a title Bryce will soon establish onNovember 1 when she tackles the TCS New York City Marathon in tribute to her late mother, Felice Kristall, who lost her year-long battle with lung cancer in April 2014. Kristall is running the marathon to share her mom’s story, celebrate her mom’s life and do what she can to promote increased funding for lung cancer research.
“My mom’s death took a hard hit on me,” says Bryce, who was still in college and only 20 years old when her mom passed. “She was a wonderful mother, a sincerely loved member of the community and a person whom I aspire to emulate.”
Bryce Kristall with her mom and her brother. Photo Credit: American Lung Association.
Bryce Kristall says her mom’s overarching traits were her extreme generosity and willingness to help others. She loved working in public relations and photography and took great pride in promoting the many successes of the Half Hollow Hills School District for whom she worked directly and as a consultant while at the PR firm Zimmerman-Edelson.
“I knew I needed to do something big to remember my mom and to carry on her incredible spirit. After doing some online research, I found the opportunity to run in the marathon on behalf of the Lung Association and reached out to them. I am so glad that I did. This marathon will challenge me to step out of my comfort zone. The mental and physical aspects of running a marathon will allow me to experience 1/8th of what my mom went through on a daily basis.”
Bryce Kristall says that Lung Association’s mission to save lives by preventing lung disease and improving lung health is something that resonates with her. She not only supports the organization’s work to boost funding for lung cancer research but the work the organization does to help people quit smoking and keep kids from ever starting.
The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and the largest marathon in the world. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features the world’s top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127 entrants running four laps around Central Park, and expanded citywide in 1976. In 2014, a record 50,530 runners from 130 countries toured New York City’s five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and running through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, before ending in Manhattan at the iconic Central Park finish line.
Bryce has been running 3 to 4 miles most days of the week and doing longer runs on weekends to get herself ready for the marathon. When she is not out hitting the pavement, she is making phone calls, crafting emails and posting messages on her social media sites asking for support. She has already raised more than half of the $5,000 she committed to raising for the Lung Association. In addition to finishing the marathon and raising as much as she can for the American Lung Association, she hopes her run will raise awareness about lung cancer in women. Last year, the American Lung Association launched LUNG FORCE, a new movement designed to unite women to stand together against lung cancer and for lung health, and encourage them to raise their voices for change. One of the goals of LUNG FORCE is to drastically increase critical funds for lung cancer research. It is support that is much needed; more than 108,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year and, on average, less than half will be alive next year.
“The Lung Association is so grateful to have Bryce Kristall participating in this year’s NYC Marathon and helping us to raise awareness about lung cancer,” said Jeff Seyler, President & CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. “While lung cancer takes a toll on patients it also takes a toll on their loved ones as Bryce’s story illustrates. The money she is raising will bring us closer to finding better treatments for lung cancer that can boost survival rates.”
To learn more about Bryce Kristall’s participation in the TCS NYC Marathon and to support her cause, visit her fundraising page. To learn more about the marathon, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.com.
About the American Lung Association of the Northeast
The American Lung Association of the Northeast serves CT,MA,ME, NH, NY, RI and VT. We are part of the American Lung Associaiton, the oldest voluntary health organization in the U.S. established in 1904 to combat tuberculosis; our mission today is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The focus is on air quality, asthma, tobacco control, and all lung disease. www.LungNE.org
