Sahar | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
She runs marathons. She just climbed nineteen thousand feet some
mountain in Africa, and she does it all for the
kids at Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital. Now, Sahar needs
our help. She's about to embark on the adventure of
her life. Listen in and you can hear what she's
about to do for those precious kids. Sahar. I have

(00:20):
been looking through your list of accomplishments and all to
benefit our precious kids at Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.
So let's go back and find out how you became you.
What were your likes?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
What?

Speaker 1 (00:35):
How did you become this incredible athlete doing amazing things
for people you don't even know.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
The athlete part I would have to attribute. I have
two older brothers, so sports was a big, a big
part of life where when I was growing up. So
running marathons though, it actually started with my sister in law,
who at the time was just my brother's girl friend,
and her and her dad were running the Houston Marathon, OK,

(01:04):
And she was like, run the half marathon, you can
do it, and I was like, no, you're crazy, that's
way too far, that's ridiculous. So I ended up running it.
And I finished, and then I half marathon.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
It's fifteen twelve miles thirteen.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Point one and I finished, and I looked at her
and I said, I will never run again. You're crazy.
And you did it twice because her and her dad
did the full marathon.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
So kind of fast forward to twenty eighteen and I
lost my grandmother to cancer, who I was extremely close to.
And one of the last things that she told me
was to make sure that I leave an imprint on
somebody's life. And I asked her to do chemo, and
she said, look, I'm in my eighties. I've lived my life.

(01:54):
I've watched my kids have kids, their kids have had kids.
I've done every thing. I've seen what I wanted to.
I'm I don't want to do it. I'm tired. I'm
ready to go. She lost my grandfather at a really
young age, so she was just tired. And I stopped
running for a while, and then I ran another race

(02:16):
and I saw Saint Jude there and I was finishing
the race, and I was thinking about what my grandmother said,
and I was like, you know, she was lucky and
fortunate to see so many things in her life, but
there's so many kids that may not get that opportunity.
So selfishly, I signed up for a race with Saint
Jude and I was told, if you raise a certain

(02:37):
amount of money, you get an Apple Watch. And I
was like, okay, so you know, all right, I'll do it.
And so I told my mom about it, and she
thought it was going to be a one and done thing.
And so I ran my first race as a Saint
Jude hero in Nashville and it's there. Oh, it was amazing.

(02:57):
So Saint Jude has this thing or the night before
the race, they have aposta party and they usually have
a patient's family speak and my brother and sister in law,
who had gotten me into running, had just had their
first kid, my niece, and I'm listening to this gentleman
talk about his child who was treated at Saint Jude

(03:18):
and unfortunately passed away. And I walked out of there
just bawling, and I called my mom and I was like,
you know, we're so lucky. We're all healthy. My niece
was born, she was healthy, she is you know, we've
never had to suffer like this. And so I finished
that race and I said, you know what, if I'm
going to run I'm going to raise money and from

(03:39):
that race in April of twenty nineteen, I have never
run a race without raising money for Saint Jude's Children's
Research Hospital SING.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
And You've run race after race after race, and not
only on roads like flat surfaces, but you've also gone
up a mountain for Saint Jude.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yes, just this October, a few weeks ago, I climbed
nineteen thousand, three hundred and forty one feet to the
top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
All of it was for the kids of Saint Jude.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
What was going through your your heart, your mind, your body,
that must I'm now, granted you've run marathon, so you're
in an amazing shape, but this is a whole different
world because you've got the pressure from the heights and
right totally different.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
So I initially signed up for it. I told my
parents I was going to do it, and it was
kind of on a whim. And then as I started
training for it, I mean, we live in Houston. There
is no elevation, no West Mount Houston. We say on
I forty five, that's about it exactly. And so I
spent hours on the StairMaster with a weighted best and

(04:50):
the first day and there's the five other gentlemen that climbed,
so I was on top of all of the physical
part of it. I'm the only girl out there, which
is you know, it's it's tough, and so I was
very fortunate that the five other guys that I was
with took care of me, took me under their wings,

(05:10):
supported me. But mentally, the first day I was ready
to quit. I was just ready to give up. I
was like, this is insane. We haven't even started, like
the actual elevation part of this. How am I gonna
How am I going to go nineteen thousand feet? And
I just kept telling myself, you know what, these kids
they don't they don't have a choice on whether they're

(05:32):
going to do chemo tomorrow or they don't. They don't
get to decide that they have to. And they're fighting
and so I'm I can't stop. They're not stopping, and
so when it got hard, I just I just dug
deep and I was like, you know what, some someday
there's going to be a child that was saved at
Saint Jude and they're going to climb this mountain and

(05:52):
hopefully I'm I'm just a small part of that and
I can help make that happen. And so I just
I just dug down deep and I thought, you know,
what would those kids do? They can't stop, so I can't.
I can't.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
And just so you know that when you donate to
Saint Jude, the reason you do it is none of
these kids will ever get a bill. This is why
people help the kids at Saint Jude.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
I mean, and I've been fortunate, I just recently because
I got involved right before COVID and then there was
all the restrictions where you couldn't really go to the hospital.
I went and was able to visit the hospital for
the first time this may and to actually see those
donations in use and to know and I've met people

(06:37):
that their kids are currently being treated at Saint Jude.
And I've just asked them like is that true, and
they said, they've been there for over a year getting
treatment and they've never paid for medicine, they've never paid
for food, for housing, for anything. So I mean, is
it is amazing to know that they are never going
to see a bill. And if that can help save

(06:58):
someone's life, I'll keep going. I'll keep climbing mountains and
running marathons.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
I just think of the impact and the legacy that
your grandma left you and the kids at Saint Jude
and anyone who hears your story. It's amazing what she did.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
It really is. And my parents they have continued and
they really are very charitable people. So I've been fortunate
to have grown up around charity. But for some reason,
just what my grandmother said that day about having seen
so much in her life, and then it just got
me thinking that those kids should get that same opportunity.

(07:34):
And you know, I've been healthy all my life and
I've never had to face that, and I just I
want to be able to help in any way I can.

Speaker 1 (07:44):
You know, they say, to those who've been given much,
much is expected, and you're going to be doing just
to let our viewers know what you're about to do.
It's seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Is
that it right?

Speaker 2 (08:00):
That is correct?

Speaker 1 (08:01):
That's insanity, That's pure insanity, you know.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
I just I was given the opportunity and not only
to be able to say that you've done it, but
to be able to say that I've done it while
raising money for the kids of Saint Jude is what
makes it all the more special. It's going to be
insane and it's going to be a lot of fun.
But to know at the end of the day that
I'm going to be able to help these kids, That's

(08:26):
that's what it's all about for me.

Speaker 1 (08:28):
Well, I'm just thinking in my head, now, how fast
can you run a marathon?

Speaker 2 (08:32):
About five hours?

Speaker 1 (08:33):
Okay? So five hours give or take a couple of
hours cushion before cushion after then you got to hop
on a plane, yes, to get to your next location.
I mean, how are you going to actually do this?
Are you all mapped out?

Speaker 2 (08:48):
It's not mapped out. Ith The opportunity came or came
about right before I left for Africa, and I told
myself I was My mom said, no more crazy ideas.
You need to thank all this stuff through. And I
got to the top of Kilimanjaro and I thought about
it for probably fifteen seconds. Came off the mountain and

(09:08):
told my mom when we go back to Houston, I'm
calling and saying I'm doing it now.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Was it someone you met on your climb up killiman Jarrow?

Speaker 2 (09:16):
No, so another gentleman in out of Dallas is doing
it next year for Saint Jude, and somebody had approached
me about it and told me that this was like
it's it's an event and it's doable. And I was like, Okay,
on one marathon is crazy enough, but seven on seven
different continents. And then I just thought about it and

(09:37):
I was like, what an adventure? Like, why not, let's
do it.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
I love that spirit. I love it. So how are
you preparing yourself? When is this all going to happen?

Speaker 2 (09:46):
So I am going to begin fundraising now. I have
a pretty pretty huge goal of one hundred thousand dollars
to raise, but I don't think it'll be difficult. I
know that with such a worthy cause, it'll be easy
to get donated and then the actual event will happen
in twenty twenty six. Wow.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
Well, we're going to get all your information up on
our socials. So if people in Houston, where'd you go
to school? Just so we can get some of your
family and friends being like, oh, I'm going to help
her out.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
So I went to high school in Fort Bend. I
went to Kempner High School and then I graduated from
sam Houston State.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
All right, So Sam Houston State I took an announcing
class up there. I actually started my radio career. I
love it there. So you've got a good source right there.
Family friends in Fort ben County area, up in sam Houston, teachers, friends.
Have you let these people know yet or is this
the beginning?

Speaker 2 (10:41):
This is the beginning right here. So I am going
to be going to Memphis for the Memphis Saint Jude
Marathon in the first week of December, and I'm actually
going to be on the campus of Saint Jude and
I'm going to be filming a little video where I'm
going to post it to all my socials to announce
it officially that I'm going to be taking this challenge
for Saint Dude.

Speaker 1 (11:01):
All Right, you have to call into the radio station,
of course, Okay, and anytime you call in, because then
we can we can feature you and our tell Me
Something Good segment. We do it every morning at six
point twenty. It's hope filled, it's positive. You'll get a
good lot of good positive vibes and who knows, maybe
you'll get someone who would like to donate some megabucks

(11:22):
to your adventure.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
Well, absolutely, you're gonna be hearing from me quite a.

Speaker 1 (11:26):
Bit absolutely, we would love to. I love your attitude.
What do you want to do when you grow up?

Speaker 2 (11:33):
I you know, I just keep raising money. It's and
it's crazy because the first couple people that I ever
asked for donations they said no, And my mom was like,
you've got to get thicker skin. You've got it. For
every one person that says yes, ten are gonna say no.
And now it's so funny because if my mom's friends

(11:53):
don't hear from me every few months for a donation,
they're like, what's going on? When's next race?

Speaker 1 (11:59):
Well, you lazy? There's something.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, it's everybody. It's just like it's become just a
household name now everywhere everywhere that I go, everyone knows that,
oh it must be time to donate. So I think
when I grow up, I just want to keep raising
money and helping kids, helping anybody.

Speaker 1 (12:14):
Who knows what doors are going to open from these
adventures that they're marking on. I love it, you know.
I love the kids. At Saint Jude. We do our
radiothon every December during our Christmas music, which is supposed
to be a joy filled time, and people are like,
how does that work? Well? When you go visit Saint Jude,
as you know, it's a joy filled place.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
Absolutely, they are some of the happiest kids that I
have ever met in my life. The Saint Jude Memphis Marathon,
you get to actually run through the campus of Saint Jude,
and I get chills. And I run it four or
five times now, and every single time I get chills
because you literally have patients and their families and doctors
and nurses that are lined up cheering you on, and

(12:57):
they're telling you thank you for raising money, and you're
just trying to fight back tears, trying to say no, no,
like this is this is not And it's just incredible
to see the joy and the happiness on their face
even though they're going through such a tough time. Like
you can't tell by looking at them.

Speaker 1 (13:13):
It's so true. It's it's just it's they are. They
are humans that are above our levels. I mean, it's
just they're what, They're just very special people, and I
know it's that magic at Saint Jude that really lifts
them up above their problems. It's true. I watched it now.
You started out just so are our viewers know you
were not a runner an athlete, yes, but not a runner.

(13:35):
Big difference, Okay.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
Big difference.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
So how if someone is thinking about they're very encouraged
by you and want to do something great in twenty
twenty five, how could they start? What's what would be
a good suggestion?

Speaker 2 (13:47):
Well, there are so many five k's and ten k's,
the Houston Marathon and half marathon. You can sign up
to be a Saint Jude Hero and raise money virtually
any race anywhere you can sign up to be a
Saint Jude Hero and raise money and that money, all
of it goes straight to Saint Jude. Just I would
love to put people in touch with it for different

(14:09):
races that they'd like to run. You can literally go
all over the country. I've been fortunate enough to go
all over the world as far as London and Berlin
to run marathons. So there are all kinds of and
you don't have to run. You can voluntary your time,
you can you know, you can make a donation in
honor of somebody. You can find somebody else that's running

(14:29):
or raising money. So even if you don't feel comfortable
just jumping on the running train just yet, because I
definitely was not right, but there's there's so many ways
to help, and I would love to encourage anybody out
there that's listening to this to get involved, whether it's
with Saint Jude or any charity. It just it can.
Really it's changed my life in ways that I would

(14:51):
have never imagined.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
And you know, we have to thank your sister in law.
She's the one who pushed you, right, she is.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
And it's so funny because in my head, she was
in corrals that were earlier than me, so she was
starting earlier. I told her, Oh, I'll just I'll just
walk with her and then when she starts, I'll just
leap like they won't know. But her mom and her
dad really encouraged me to finish, and I did. And
she's a She's a huge part of why I started

(15:19):
running and why I've continued on.

Speaker 1 (15:21):
That's a beautiful story. Oh I'm so glad we got
you on so you could share your incredible adventure. You
need to write a book and we'll have all your
social media contacts on our social media so people can
reach out and and help you in ways that would
really be beneficial. So you're just a delight leave it.
And so while you're raising money for Saint Jude. What

(15:44):
do your brothers do?

Speaker 2 (15:46):
So we all work for a family business. We are here.
We're all here in Houston, which is why I'm able
to get away with running so many of these crazy
adventures because I can't get fired from a family business.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
Wonderful.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
So we are local contracts with FedEx as well as
a home restoration. We do historic homes in the heights.
So my brothers are a huge part of this also
because when I go on on these crazy adventures, they
kind of pick up my slack at work and really
help me out. So it really is a family effort.
My parents go on vacation they weren't with me to

(16:20):
Africa and loved it. They've been to Berlin in London.
My mom almost always travels with me when I travel
here in the US for these races, and they're the
family is a huge part of supporting Saint Jude as well.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
Well, that's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
It's a family effort for sure.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
And you just have you just have such joy on
your face and despite all the hard work, you definitely understand,
you know, it's so much easier to run for something
higher or bigger than yourself than just running for yourself.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
Right absolutely. You know when when the training runs get
hard and the hours on the StairMaster getting ready for Africa,
you just you know, you remember that it's not about
you and it's for somebody else, and that that extra
just gives me. Okay, I can do this because they're
doing something much harder than I'll ever have to go
through or do. So if they can do it, I

(17:12):
can do it.

Speaker 1 (17:14):
That's excellent. What a great lesson to share and such wisdom.
And thank you for sharing a little bit of your
life with us, and we're going to help you out.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
You just be in touch with all, okay, thank you
so much. And I love listening to you in the mornings.
It is so crazy to actually see you and put
like a face to a voice you hear every morning.

Speaker 1 (17:33):
It's so funny. Thirty five years almost it's insane.

Speaker 2 (17:37):
It's crazy.

Speaker 1 (17:38):
I think about that too. With all the great people
that we meet, we go, wow, So I have to
get up at two in the morning. I can do that.
They're struggling much harder than I am.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
Right absolutely, And I would love to stop bidering the
same Jude Radiothon and answer the phone calls anything I
can do to help out.

Speaker 1 (17:54):
We will let you know. Okay.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
Awesome, Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
Thank you, love, take care

Speaker 2 (17:59):
Thank you too,