Freshman races to make difference for cousin

“Seventh out of 100… That’s not too bad for my first meet ever, but it’s not about me, it’s about Kate,” she posted onto Instagram 44 weeks ago.

Student athlete Makayla Marley is a freshman runner, who was on varsity cross country and just made varsity track. However, she runs for more than herself. Her cousin, Kate Brennan, had a full ride scholarship flooding her future just before competing for state in Florida before an accident.

“She was well on her way to winning state, but when she was in the weight room with her team, her coach insisted it was okay not to use the safety belt while doing squats,” Makayla Marley said. “Of course, she was going to trust her coach, but after she went down, she realized the bar was too heavy and her spotter wasn’t paying attention to notice her struggling. She fell down and broke her back right there in the school’s weight room.”

Brennan underwent several surgeries, later confirming she would never be able to run again. Now she is attending the University of Alabama, beating the odds by starting to jog again.

“I promised Kate and myself that from that day on I would run for her no matter what. I’ll race for Kate. I’ll go to state for Kate. I’ll win for Kate,” Marley said.

Over the summer, Marley visited her cousin to see her progress and talk about running. Both girls share the passion for the sport, Brennan gave her cousin her own lucky racing Fleming Island XC sweatshirt, which Marley says, is the best thing she could have ever dreamed of receiving.

“Everything I do, I do for her and I will never stop. I will be victorious, and as always, for Kate,” Marley said.

Keep up with Marley’s races and competitions by following #forkate on Instagram. She is using it for every post about her running, as she chases the dream for her cousin.