Celebrating Body And Mind: Glenview Mother-Daughter Ready For Race

GLENVIEW, IL — Gail Slamar was never a fan of running. The Glenview resident had tried it a few times, but just didn't enjoy it.

That all changed a few years ago when Slamar decided she wanted to improve her health and started running with her daughter, Kristen. Gail Slamar, who is recovering from a stroke while also battling colon cancer, began liking the sport because she could do it with someone she loved, while also getting a chance to be outside.

Fast-forward to this Saturday when the duo, along with Gail's husband and Kristen's father, Charlie, are entered to compete in their first half-marathon together — the Christie Clinic Illinois race at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

"We've previously planned on two others [editions of the race] that she [Gail] ended up very sick (in the ICU) the week before, so we are excited to cross the finish line," Kristen Slamar tells Patch. "We also look for races that have a personal significance."

The race at the University of Illinois surely fits that criteria for the whole Slamar family, as Charlie and his brother are U of I alumni. While growing up, Kristen Slamar said the whole family would spend fall Saturdays going down to Champaign for football games.

Among the exciting components of the race is that the finish line is located at the 50-yard line inside of Memorial Stadium, the spot where the Slamar family would watch the Fighting Illini on the gridiron for so many years.

For the mother-daughter team, a lot of preparation has gone into getting ready for Saturday's race. The duo competed in the "Get Your Rear In Gear 5K" in Chicago last August. The race, started in 2004, raises money for the Colon Cancer Coalition, a national organization with the purpose of ending colorectal cancer deaths by increasing screening and educating others about the signs and symptoms of the treatable disease.

They followed that effort up by racing in the Ventures Endurance Hot Chocolate Run, held last November at Chicago's Grant Park.

Kristen Slamar says training with her mother has gone well, and they'll be more than ready to go when the race starts Saturday morning.

"We've been lucky recently to have some nice weather for our weekly long runs," Kristen Slamar said. "And in general, it's been great to be able to get outside and spend time together."

According to her family, Gail Slamar has found an overload of support in the running community, which along with the bonding she gets to do with her daughter and husband, has led to a love for the discipline. Gail Slamar has been known to wear the medals she's won in races to Monday chemotherapy treatments.

"My mom and I both feel that finishing a race — and the training — is such a celebration of what the body and mind can accomplish," Kristen Slamar said. "Her fight with cancer and recovery from her stroke is still ongoing, but crossing the finish line feels like one big step closer."