2010 - From a "Two Packs A Day" Smoker to a Boston "Rock Star"

Bridgett Jolly

Seven years ago I could have never pictured myself as a runner. Probably because seven years ago I was a "two packs a day" smoker. I put cigarettes down on August 21, 2006 and I haven't had one since.

Six months after I quit, I was going nuts, and had to find something to do. There were a couple of ladies in my neighborhood who ran. And they looked amazing. And I wanted to look like them. So I started running.

Ok, maybe not running, but trying to run. I would run to a mailbox, then walk. Then run a little further. And before I knew it I was up to running three miles straight! I signed up for my first race: the St. Jude half marathon. I ran that race in December of 2007, and when I crossed the finish line, I knew I was a runner! There was such a sense of accomplishment. To think that God had not only given me the strength to quit smoking, but he also let me run 13.1 miles straight!