Hi! I'm Betsy.
Writer, athlete, and philanthropist.
Thirteen years ago, after a lifetime of ambivalence about having kids, my husband, Doug, and I decided to adopt two older orphans from Russia.
My reticence about children stemmed from losing my mother to colon cancer when she was only 46 years old. After her death, I was certain I'd die young, too, so I set out to capital "L," Live my Life! I became a marathon runner, ultra-marathoner, and Ironman triathlete; I quit my cushy corporate job to get a master's degree in counseling; I overcame my intense fear of commitment and married Doug; and, finally, I discovered my dream job by starting and growing a charity, Girls on the Run-Chicago. Life was good.
Thirteen years ago, after a lifetime of ambivalence about having kids, my husband, Doug, and I decided to adopt two older orphans from Russia.
Then, a strange thing happened: instead of dying at 46 like my mom, I turned 47.
My 47th birthday shook me. What would I do now?! What could, or should, I do now?! The answer came out of nowhere: I decided it was time for children. At my age, that meant adopting.
Our adoption journey didn't quite go as planned. We experienced a failed adoption, decided to change the country from which we'd adopt, and once we finally met the kids whom we wanted to join our family, a judge in a tiny town eight time zones away from Moscow ordered me to undergo a series of physical exams to determine if I was "fit to be a mother."
When I'm not writing, running, or planning where to donate my time and treasure, I travel between homes in Chicago, Wisconsin, and Las Vegas; play with our pups, Mishka and General, and our cat, Gatsby; and am always looking out for the next cool pair of shoes to add to my collection.
