The Mission Behind the Miles
My Why
I am who I am because of my mother.
I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for my mother.
Growing up, I watched my mom wage a silent, invisible war.
One that most people couldn't see.
One where your own immune system turns against you, attacking your organs, joints, and skin.
There were days when she could barely get out of bed.
Days when the pain was so intense that even a hug felt like broken glass.
But guess what?
She never stopped fighting.
She never stopped showing up for her loved ones.
She never stopped making people smile & feel loved.
She is the one who taught me what true grit looks like.
Not the kind you see in movies, but the quiet, relentless kind that gets you through another day when everything in your body is screaming at you to give up.
The kind that smiles through the pain so your kid doesn't worry.
The kind that finds beauty, appreciation, & humor in the struggle.
The kind that refuses to let a disease define you.
Every step I take across those 250 miles of Arizona desert will be for her.
For every morning she woke up in pain but still made me smile & laugh.
For every baseball game & bike race she attended despite the exhaustion & pain she was in.
For every sacrifice she made so I could have a better life.
But this isn't just about my mom.
This is about the 1.5 million Americans living with Lupus right now.
The 16,000 new cases diagnosed every year.
The mothers, fathers, daughters, sisters, and sons fighting this battle in silence.
People ask me why.
Why would you do something so painful?
Because PAIN is the point.
Because this is what people with Lupus live through, not for a race, but for a lifetime.
Because my mom didn't get to "train" for this. She just woke up one day and had to survive it.
I'm running 250 miles because that's nothing compared to what a person with Lupus has to endure every single day.
When my legs are screaming at mile 150, when the desert heat is unbearable, when every fiber of my being wants to quit, I'll think of my mom who taught me how to never quit.
I'll think of everyone battling Lupus & I'll keep moving forward.
And for my mom who is tougher than anyone I know & don't know...
I'm asking for your help to raise $10,000 for the Lupus Foundation of America.
This money will fund research, support families, and bring us closer to a world where no one has to live in the kind of pain my mom does.
Because if she can fight Lupus every day of her life... I can run 250 miles.
Please donate / share. Please help me turn this run into something bigger than myself.
💜 Alex Daniels
100% of donations go directly to
Lupus Foundation of America
No platform fees. No middlemen. Every dollar fights Lupus.