By Marina Stuart
Staff Writer
Everybody loves Disney, so why on earth would you not want to run 26.2 miles through the Disney parks?
For one lucky runner that dream actually came true. Senior Markia Johnson, who is a member of Students Run Philly Style, has won a spot in the Disney World Marathon in 2012-all expenses paid.
SRPS is an organization in Philadelphia that helps students around the city become long-distance runners. There are about 45 different teams and they are located at different schools and neighborhoods.
This year an organizer who works with students run and CIGNA, the marathon sponsor worked out the following arrangement: One SRPS member will get an all expense paid trip to run in the Disney World Marathon. Students were nominated by their team leaders and had to write an essay explaining why they deserved the opportunity.
Of the 250 students nominated all around Philadelphia, only one was selected, and that was Johnson.
According to SLA organizer Jeremy Spry, “Markia was nominated because she has been with Students run for seven years and is a senior so it was fitting that we nominated her.”
When asked about being nominated, Johnson said she didn’t really think it would happen and didn’t actually ask her parents for permission to enter the contest. However, when she did find out she got the award she immediately called her parents who agreed and were very excited for her.
As a part of her weekend at the marathon, Johnson must also help with the kids Disney World “Fun Run” and be part of a speaker series and the Disney world expo.
For her essay, Johnson “wrote about how this was my last year in students and I finished three marathons, which is current goal. I also wrote about how doing the Disney World Marathon would be a good way to end my students run career.”
Johnson will participate in the Disney World Marathon run on Jan 8th 2012.
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