The SpeakUp5k race series was the dream of Cameron Gallagher, a 16-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, living with depression and anxiety. She set as a personal goal to run a half-marathon, and she completed the Shamrock Half-Marathon in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 16, 2014. She crossed the finish line, embraced her parents, and collapsed. Cameron passed away suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition.
The week after her death, her family found plans for a 5k race in her bedroom, a race she wanted to host to raise awareness of teenage depression and anxiety and to erase their associated stigmas. She knew that there were many teens who were privately fighting this same battle, and she wanted to give them the courage to “speak up.”
Cameron’s family moved forward with her plans, and now holds 5k races in Richmond, VA; San Diego, CA; Tampa, FL; and Boone, NC. The SpeakUp5k race series serves as the primary vehicle to drive the SpeakUp message into the community in a powerful, positive, fun, family-friendly way. To carry on her legacy, the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation was created, and its mission is to fulfill Cameron’s dream by being a positive force that works to cultivate awareness and understanding of teenage depression and anxiety.
The 3rd Annual SpeakUp5k Richmond will be held Saturday, September 10th, at 9:00 a.m. in Byrd Park. To register for the race, and to learn more about Cameron’s story and our programs, please visit www.ckgfoundation.org.
