Fundraiser Spotlight: Irina

Grit and Determination Fueled This Fundraiser

Irina Lucaciu recently tackled an incredible athletic feat. In early March, she challenged herself to run four miles every four hours over the course of 48 hours. She ran during the day and at night; in calm weather and typical Washington state rain.

She set out to challenge herself mentally and physically, while bringing meaning to her efforts. Her motivation was her stepfather, Terry Karlstad.  She shares:

“My stepfather, Terry, was a four-time lung cancer survivor and an inspiration to all around him. Optimistic until the end, he never gave up or complained. He was funny, loving, and kind. We all miss him.

Terry welcomed me, my mother, and my sister into his life in 2009, when we arrived in rural Alabama from faraway Romania. He was a wonderful husband to my mother and a supportive father to my sister and me, generously and selflessly sharing his life with us and helping us ease into a new culture.

Despite his own personal battles, he was constantly thinking of others.

I wanted to find a way to honor Terry’s memory while also pushing my own physical limits. I had read David Goggins’ book Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds and followed his work, and that is how I came across 4x4x48, which is his worldwide fundraising event. My mother had been Terry’s caregiver for a decade and she recommended I raise funds for GO2 for Lung Cancer.

Terry was a runner himself, completing a 5K just months before he passed away. It was an honor to run in his memory, passing on the lesson he taught us – there’s always so much you can do for others, if you only keep moving.”