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Health & Fitness

Two SMFHS alumni race for charity

           A strange turn of events recently occurred for Kent State University sophomores Lauren Nervo and Molly Phelps.

            “Last year, we said that if we ever got the opportunity to try out for ‘The Amazing Race’, we would,” Nervo said.

            And then last Thursday, just before midnight, the girls finalized a deal with a representative from the Race Around Ohio organization about running in their event, a charity race based off of the hit reality television series “The Amazing Race.”

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            An email that was sent to them earlier in the evening asked Phelps if she was interested in running with somebody that she knew. Last semester, Phelps took part in a charity walk for Multiple Sclerosis, inspired by her grandmother, who suffers from the disease.

            According to nationalmssociety.org, the disease attacks the central nervous system and can cause anything from mild numbness to paralysis or blindness. The website also states that symptoms and progression are “unpredictable and vary from one person to another.”

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            On Oct. 12, the girls, nicknamed “The Fierce Flashes,” will begin with 11 other teams at the starting line in Columbus. The race’s other locations have yet to be determined, but the event will run from about eight in the morning to five in the evening.

            The first team to cross the finish line wins.

            Teams will have to face a series of challenges along the way that event coordinators set up, some according to anybody’s worst fears.

            “We put down snakes [for our worst fears] on our application,” Nervo said, adding that the application asked students if they were willing to do a challenge involving those fears. Nervo said with a laugh, “We put ‘not willing.’”

            Painting a park was one of last year’s challenges, Nervo said.

            Last year’s winner of the event supported the MS charity fund, and due to their victory, the Race’s charity this year that all funds raised will go to is the National MS Society. The Fierce Flashes hope that their charity, Make a Wish Foundation, is the charity every team races for next year.

            Phelps said that the pair, who really did not know each other too well prior to college, have already surpassed the $200 mark that all competitors must pass in order to compete next Saturday.

            “$200 isn’t that much [when it comes to giving to charity],” Phelps said, adding that the group is still actively seeking more donations, all of which must be made through their online website listed below. The group paid $50 in order to participate. As of Oct. 1, the Fierce Flashes are first in competition as far as money raised.

            The link for their fundraiser is posted below, and all donations are accepted.

            Nervo said, “You can go to college, you can still be busy, but there’s still time to give back. We wanted people to know that we are still giving back past high school, which shows how passionate we are.”

            The link: http://www.active.com/donate/racearoundohio2013/MollyandLauren

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