Dundalk 6K: Running for Mom

Amanda Kikola played field hockey, basketball and lacrosse at Patapsco High School, where she was selected as Athlete-of-the-Year as a senior in 2006. At the University of Maryland, she played intramural sports and began running the occasional 5K to stay in shape.

More recently, inspired by her mom, she’s upped her game.

In early June, Kikola ran the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon with Team Challenge, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s endurance training and fundraising program. Kikola’s mother, Susan Rockstroh, has suffered from Crohn’s Disease since shortly after her younger brother was born.

Kikola had a booth at the Dundalk Heritage Fair this weekend with information about Team Challenge and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. She’s also running in the Dundalk Heritage 6K today as part of training for her next Team Challenge race, the Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon in Las Vegas in December.

Through Team Challenge, athletes, or would-be athletes, receive coaching help and support to run or walk 13.1 miles, train for a triathlon or a cycling event, while raising money to help to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The two chronic and often debilitating digestive diseases impact 1.4 million Americans, according to the Team Challenge website.

Kikola, a program coordinator at the Maryland Office of Health Policy and Planning in Baltimore, said the last time her mother had a relapse she learned about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the Team Challenge program.

“I wanted to find a way to help,” she said.

Crohn’s is described by the National Institutes of Health as a form of inflammatory bowel disease, usually affecting the intestines. Little is known about what causes the disease, but heredity and stress are believed to play a role.

Abdominal pain, fever, immune system issues, persistent diarrhea, loss of appetite and fatigue are common symptoms. There are several treatments available, including a variety of drug regimens, but no cure at the moment.

“It’s not something that’s talked about a lot and there needs to be greater awareness and focus about it,” Kikola said. “There needs to be a cure.”

She watched her mother, she said, struggle with the disease, but remain “adamant trying to lead a normal life.”

“I am so proud of her dedication to raise money for this debilitating illness that affects so many, including me for over 20 years,” Susan Rockstroh said.

More information on the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Team Challenge can be found at www.ccteamchallenge.org. Or e-mail Amanda Kikola at akikola22@gmail.com.