Julie WeissSpeaker and Booking Agent Information

I hadn't trained properly and had vowed to limit myself to 10Ks after that. But it wasn't long, only two months, before I ran another marathon, and then another. My dad became my biggest supporter. We had a goal, and that goal was for me to qualify for the Boston Marathon, where he would accompany me.

I attempted to qualify for the Boston Marathon 19 times. Every time I finished a marathon, I called my father to let him know how I did. Even though it was my slowest time, he was still proud of me. He was always encouraging me to keep going, and I did.

My father was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in October of 2010. I was heartbroken, but my father encouraged me to continue training, working, and living my life as usual. It was difficult, but I did as he asked.

On December 5, 2010, I finally qualified for the Boston Marathon, finishing in 3:47, but it was one week after my father died, just thirty-five days after his treatment. I know he was there with me, the wind at my back and the best seat in the house, my heart.

After running the Boston Marathon in 2011, I became fascinated by the disease that had taken my father's life. Pancreatic cancer was discovered to be the fourth leading cause of cancer death and the least funded for studies. This was intolerable to me.

I knew I needed to do something spectacular to raise awareness, and I knew it had to revolve around my love of running and my father. So I decided to run 52 marathons in 52 weeks in order to raise $1 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. On March 17, 2013, I completed marathon #52 at the ASICS L.A.

Marathon. I managed to do all of this while working full-time. As an accountant, I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I'd leave my office on a Friday or Saturday, transport to a different city, state, or even country, run a marathon on Sunday, and then fly back to work Monday morning.

Almost every weekend, I get up at 3:30 a.m. to get to the starting line. Even Superstorm Sandy couldn't deter me. I dedicated each of my marathons to someone affected by pancreatic cancer because my struggle was insignificant in comparison to what these people had to endure. They are my role models.

I am now 42 years old, have two wonderful children, ages 20 and 24, a wonderful fiance, and, of course, my first running partner, my dog Jessie. I've discovered my life's purpose. Now I hope you'll join me in the light, embrace your highest self, and begin being the person you were meant to be on this planet.

If it strikes a chord with you, I invite you to join me in the fight against pancreatic cancer. The disease that took my number one fan, my father, and so many others' lives. I'm grateful that we've completed this incredible journey, but we're not done yet.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's goal is to double the survival rate by 2020, so I plan to run another 52 marathons by then. When you do what you love for those you care about, miracles happen. The joy comes from within.

If you enjoy running, I've learned that it's not about how many miles you cover or how fast you run. The heart does not have a clock; instead, it has beats. My role is to ensure that those beats are spent pursuing your dreams, passions, and having fun.

Marathon Goddess is about appreciating the God or Goddess that lives within each of us. Now I'm running with a goal in mind: to help fight pancreatic cancer. It's become my mission, and I'm not going to stop until we find a cure.