Meagan Gatley always wanted to compete in a long-distance road race. Although that desire never wavered, she struggled to find the necessary spark required to commit to such an arduous training regimen.

That changed last winter.

Gatley, a 20-year-old Linwood resident, returned home for break following the 2011 fall semester and her mind began to stir.

Just a month earlier, she lost her beloved grandfather, Jim Lane, to Leukemia. The same devastating disease also took away her uncle, Mark Lane, in November 2010.

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