Squeeee!

[ziasudra]

My Marathon Article is Published!!!

The New York City Marathon seemed like ages ago, but the article is finally published! I'm so excited :) Two clips in one semester...not bad, seeing how non-motivated I am in trying to get clips on my own outside of my reporting class.

Publication: West Windsor & Plainsboro News
Date: December 3, 2004
Section: People in the News
Title: Running in the Big Apple



Anna D’Anna not only walks her talk. She runs. On November 7, D’Anna, 42, joined over 35,000 runners from around the world in the 35th annual New York City Marathon.

Runners began the 26.2-mile race in Staten Island, passed through all five boroughs of New York City, and crossed the finish line at Central Park’s Tavern on the Green.

An accomplished athlete and a personal trainer for Muscles In Motion, D’Anna, a West Windsor resident, can also boast finishes in the 1999 New York City Marathon, the 2001 Marine Corps Marathon, the 2004 Triathlon and the Half Iron Man. This year she set two new records: she completed the marathon with a personal best time of 4 hours, 12 minutes, and 58 seconds; and this was her first solo long-distance race.

“Every year, I set a new goal for myself,” D’Anna says. “This year’s goal was running the marathon alone.” It was a hard-earned achievement. D’Anna had a good start and recalls reaching the 20-mile mark in peak condition. “Running down First Avenue was great — all my friends were there to cheer me on,” she says.

When she crossed over to the Bronx at mile 20, however, her body began to feel the strain. “The two miles through the Bronx were the toughest. That was the point when I seriously considered stopping.” But D’Anna did not stop. “My brother, Anthony, showed up on the sideline and ran those two miles alongside me,” she says. “He got me through the hardest part of the race.”

In the end, D’Anna finished the race a heroine to her cheering squad of relatives and friends, which were 20 strong. Todd Greene, D’Anna’s boyfriend, was the first to greet her, along with her parents, both retired, and Corey, her 11-year-old son.

D’Anna was born in Staten Island, New York, and raised in Brooklyn. She attended Rutgers University and graduated with a degree in economics and accounting in 1984. She moved to Plainsboro in 1989, then to West Windsor in 1999.

“Anna’s incredible,” says Greene, a 33-year-old attorney. “She did this all on her own. She would go out for long runs when Corey was at school. She somehow manages to juggle family, work, and her workout. She is incredible.”

Kelly Ingram, D’Anna’s friend and client, agrees. As Ingram’s personal trainer, D’Anna helped Ingram train for the New York City Marathon last year. Ingram says running the marathon was one of her most amazing experiences, and she credits D’Anna for preparing her for the challenge.

In fact, helping people reach their goals is what D’Anna does every day, as a personal trainer who works one-on-one with her clients from home. She does everything from training athletes for triathlons to designing exercise regimens for people who simply want to stay healthy.

“I believe anybody can do anything that they want,” D’Anna says. “It’s a matter of having a good training plan. Take it one day at a time, and you can achieve any goal you set your mind to.”

Other runners representing West Windsor at the New York City Marathon included Jim Bernard, Michael Campbell, Larry Chevres, Alka H. Sheth, Joe Squeri, Stuart M. Sternback, and Zoubir Yazid. From Plainsboro: Andrzej Karelus, Courtney McLaughlin, Russell A. Nelson, Nina H. Nobile, Felipe E. Olavarria, Byung Il Park, and Shig Sato.