Hinsdale South retiree and former student pair up to run Chicago Marathon

Jamillah Gilbert and Kerri Harris-Crandell are raising money for ALZ-Stars-Alzheimer's Association, in honor of Jami's grandmother who is living with the disease and Kerri's dad who died from the disease.

Running the Chicago Marathon together has long been a shared goal of theirs. However, every serious attempt has always been interrupted by serious life experiences, from marriages to higher degrees, from adoptions to child birth, from cancer diagnosis to treatment.

2019 marks Jami's 30-year Hinsdale South anniversary, and they are revisiting their goal. They began training in May. Though miles apart, they encourage one another via calls and texts. The race is in Chicago, on Sunday, Oct. 13.

"I would love to have the support of my hometown along the way and on that day. It was at Hinsdale South in Darien, Ill., that I encountered the PE teacher who gave me my first detention ever, who turned me into an advocate for physical education, who encouraged me to reach my athletic goals, who helped me to identify my passion for teaching special education, and who has walked with me through my most precious life experiences-Kerri Harris-Crandell. I will always love Hinsdale South High School, and I will always love Darien, IL."