PEABODY, MASS. (WHDH) - Alyssa Shashaty is a runner on a mission: she plans to run 5K road races in all 50 states by the time she graduates – and she graduates in June.
“It’s for fun, it’s for Charity, it’s not a race, it’s not about winning.”
Alyssa came up with the idea when she was in 6th grade, and over 6 years she has run in more than 40 charity races in 40 states.
She keeps a scrapbook- a page for each state. She raised nearly ten thousand dollars for dozens of great causes like, Cancer research, Best Buddies, Boys and Girls Clubs, and military causes —
“My military ones are really important to me- I’ve done a lot of those, maybe seven,” Alyssa says.
Alyssa’s brother Nick is in the Navy, and has run several races with her and got her started.
“My brother ran cross country and my mom was like, ‘Oh you should try it.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll see how it goes.'”
And she’s been running ever since. Alyssa’s mom works for an airline, which makes it cheap to fly- but it can still be a struggle.
“It’s a lot of money! Hotels, rental cars!”
And friends are amazed at the places she’s been.
“Every now and then, I’ll see a snapchat story of her in a different state- the best one is Alaska. I look up on my phone and she’s in Alaska,” said friend Chloe Gizzi.
She also ran Hawaii, and sometimes runs three states in one weekend.
“The thing that makes Alyssa stand out is that she’s so humble what she’s done, and the road races she’s run.” Peabody Memorial High Principal Eric Buckley says.
Right now, Alyssa is sprinting down the home stretch– she only has a few more states to go.
“South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, yeah, mainly farther out,” Alyssa says.
And everyone knows she’ll reach her goal.
“She doesn’t start something without finishing it,” said friend Chloe.
“She’s so humble she doesn’t realize what she’s doing and what an impact she’s had on the races that she’s run,” said Principal Eric Buckley.
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