"This 5th annual race is a marker of how strong Paul’s spirit is, and how far it can push us"3/20/2018 My name is Laura Kowalik, and I am a Gettysburg College alum, Class of 2017. I was co-chair of the Anything is Paulssible race in 2016 and 2017. I transferred to Gettysburg after my freshman year, and immediately joined Alpha Phi Omega fall of my sophomore year. Pretty soon after, I began learning about the Anything is PAULssible 5k from its co-founders; Sara Moyer and Sophie Kashurba. At this point, I decided I wanted to get more involved with my college and the organization of APO. So, I joined the committee, and made one of the best decisions of my life. Through my time on the committee during my sophomore year, I gained so many friendships, and was able to blossom as a student, a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, and a person. The Anything is Paulssible 5k became something that was at the forefront of my college career, and that I’m proud to say that I was the co-chair of. It became part of my identity. I joined the committee to make friends and to be a part of something special within APO. The race also was a way for me to give back to a community that I held of high importance in my life. My grandma, my role model and best friend, suffered through years of breast cancer chemo treatments, won her battle with it after a double mastectomy, only to lose her battle years later to ovarian cancer. For this reason, cancer has been public enemy #1 in my book for my entire life. Then… I heard Paul’s story. I learned of Paul when I joined the committee, and quickly realized how spirited, admired, and loved he was. I learned the true turmoil and suffering he and everyone around him went through during his battle with brain cancer, and this sent a spark through my entire being that drove me to get more involved with the committee. I knew at that point that I was able to honor Paul and my grandmother in no better way than to help with the race. Paul’s spirit was felt through every committee meeting, all three races I was able to be involved with, and through every hardship the race faced, through transitioning of leadership, issues with planning, and everything else that could’ve been thrown at us. Although I could go on and talk more about how much the race helped me become the person I am today, instead I will continue by talking about where the race has the potential to go in the future, and who it can continue to help. The proceeds from the race go to helping the race go on and help fulfill Paul’s legacy, but also go toward a scholarship for a first-year student at Gettysburg College. Paul’s spirit follows this student through their entire Gettysburg College career and allows them to have opportunities that many couldn’t even imagine having. Paul was an inspired, driven, extremely intelligent, and optimistic student, son, brother, and friend. Every year, you can feel each of these aspects of him when all of his family, his closest friends, and students, faculty, and community members from Gettysburg College run on the grounds where Paul ran during his time as a student. The race is a way for Paul’s parents to feel his legacy and spirit continue on in a way to help another, just as Paul would have wanted. This 5th annual race is a marker of how strong Paul’s spirit is, and how far it can push us. The hard work has been done, and now the most important thing for all of the current and future APO brothers, friends, and family to do, is to continue to honor Paul’s legacy and help this race go on for years to come. One day, maybe one of the first committee members’ children will run on the day of the race, and be able to feel Paul’s spirit in the same way their parents were. That’s what we should push for, that’s what I yearn for, and that’s what Paul and his family deserve. Always remember, Anything is Paulssible. Signed, Laura Kowalik
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