Smithfield woman raises money for ministry by running marathon
Julie Lipniskas turned her first marathon into an opportunity to help others. The 25-year-old Smithfield woman recently ran the Philadelphia Marathon and raised $1,354.45 through sponsorships to benefit the Salt and Light Ministry at her parish, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Uniontown. Salt and Light helps those in need in the parish and local community.
“Normally when I run, I’m focused on me and how well I can do,’ said Lipniskas. “But this time, it wasn’t for me. There are people a lot worse off – not as fortunate as you, not as healthy as you. It gave me an edge.’
A daughter of Cathy and Bill Lipniskas is a 2001 graduate of Albert Gallatin High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in biology from Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va. She works for Insight, a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) company that travels to hospitals in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
Lipniskas began running when she was in middle school in Dubois. Her family moved to Fayette County when she was a high school sophomore, and she joined the track team at Albert Gallatin and was later recruited by Wheeling Jesuit.
“I used to do gymnastics. I joined track to keep in shape and I guess I was better at running than gymnastics, so I focused on that more,’ she said.
Lipniskas ran the 800- and 1,600-meter events in high school and then 5- and 10-kilometers events in college. Today, she runs for pleasure.
“Physically it keeps me in shape and healthy,’ she said. “Mentally, I’m a lot more patient and sane and, spiritually, it helps me put things in perspective and I appreciate things more.’
Lipniskas had run half marathons but never tackled a full marathon – 26.2 miles – before the Philadelphia event in November.
She found the inspiration to raise money from the marathon from a sermon given by her priest, the Rev. Alexander Pleban, who encouraged volunteerism.
“I used to do volunteer work at the ‘Y’ but because of my job, it didn’t work out. I thought I might as well take this and run with it,’ said Lipniskas.
She approached the church’s Salt and Light Ministry with the idea and it was announced in the church bulletin that Lipniskas was raising sponsorships for the marathon to benefit the ministry.
At the same time, Lipniskas was training with friends Amanda Huey of Smithfield and Lori Rodeheaver of McClellandtown, who also ran the marathon. They were building their strength, going from eight to 20 miles on those long weekend runs. The women ran different loops, such as near Albert Gallatin High School, on back roads or through Fairchance.
They traveled to Philadelphia on Friday, Nov. 16, and then attended an expo where they registered for the race that was held Sunday, Nov. 18. They returned home Nov. 19.
Asked about traveling to Philadelphia, Lipniskas said, “It was a little bit of a shock. I’m here in Smithfield with fields and farms and this was a city with lots of one-way streets. The course of the marathon was historical. We saw a lot of monuments but when you’re running, you don’t have time to appreciate it.’
Lipniskas wrote about the event for St. Joseph’s parish bulletin. She explained how her faith helped her finish the race. She wrote, in part:
“More than 16,000 runners approached the starting line in Philadelphia at 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 18. As for myself, I was excited, nervous and even rethinking my decision somewhat. I took a deep breath and thought ‘OK, God, here we go.’ Let us run with patience the race that is set before us – Hebrews 12:1. Before I knew it, I was at mile two. I only had 24.2 more miles left in the race. As we were approaching the first water stop, a young runner tripped, falling face down on the ground. Now, in everyday situations I would see people continue on, but every one of us around her stopped and helped. That whole situation reminded me of how God is there to pick us up when we are down. My faith grew a little at that moment.
“Adrenaline was carrying me a good bit until I approached Mile 10. Climbing up a hill (which was nothing compared to running the Summit Challenge), I passed a runner carrying the American flag. He was running 26.2 miles for all veterans. Amazing. My faith grew a little more as I was running by him.
“At the half-way mark (13.1 miles into the race) I felt great. My pace was right on my goal-finishing time. I kept it up, meeting one of my friends and training partners, Amanda. We kept together the next 3.5 to 4 miles until we split up. I was alone again or rather it was just God and I. Suddenly, a crash came out of nowhere. A car from the overpass above the marathon course had flipped, hitting the cement barrier just above all the runners. I think this was God’s way of saying ‘Julie, if you think you are in pain, think about the driver of that car.’ My faith was getting stronger, though it felt like my body was getting weaker.
“The last seven to eight miles of the marathon was a turn around to the finish. As I was running along, I was looking for my friends, certain that at some point we would get each other’s attention. Just like God tries to get our attention, it is up to us to look for the signs and respond. The only difference was God didn’t wave to me frantically and yell my name.
“…Mile 24 was a true test of character. My endurance and crowd cheers had been carrying me through the finish. No, I take that back. God was carrying me. Or was it my faith? I was glad that I finished. My heart swelled with pride that I had run and completed the race.
“You parishioners of St. Joseph know this race wasn’t for me. But I have strengthened my prayer life and faith. I thank you for allowing me to pursue this opportunity. You have helped me achieve my goal. I have been able to raise $1,354.45 for the Salt and Light Ministry. Your generosity, prayers and words of encouragement meant more to me than my words can express.’
Pleban said of Lipniskas, “I was really edified by a young girl wanting to do this. I thought her letter was so good and that she was motivated by Salt and Light to do something, and running is so important in her life.’
The priest noted that Lipniskas’ actions may motivate others.
“Even if this is something they can’t do, I think they’ll remember and it may encourage them to do something. I’m really proud of her. She’s a good girl from a good family. She had an opportunity and she made the most of it,’ Pleban said.
Pleban also appreciated the support that Lipniskas received from the parish family.
“I think everybody was caught up with the ideals of this young woman,’ he said.
Shirley Reskovac of the Salt and Light Ministry said, “We were deeply touched that Julie chose St. Joseph Salt & Light Ministry to be the recipient of her donations. She worked very hard preparing for the race and was well supported by family, friends and especially our parishioners at St. Joseph Church. Her generous contribution will allow Salt & Light to assist more of the less fortunate in the parish and the local community.’
Reskovac explained, “Our organization continues to grow through the efforts and generosity of many wonderful people like Julie. We have helped many in need during Thanksgiving and Christmas, several families who experienced devastating fires, the elderly, the sick, children in need of winter clothing, and the list goes on and on. Our organization is small so our contributions have been small but still very greatly appreciated by those truly in need of help.’
Two days after the marathon, Lipniskas said she was tired and sore and felt she would never run another. But today she is in training to run the Country Music Marathon on April 26 in Nashville.
Lipniskas said she appreciates the reaction her gesture has generated.
“I didn’t expect to get that kind of response from anyone,’ she said. “It’s really awesome.’