Determined to Run

Pali High Grad Joanne Levey Will Participate in the New York City Marathon, Raising Funds With OAR’s Run for Autism Team

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Though she has never ran a marathon in her life, Palisades Charter High School graduate Joanne “Jojo” Levey is up for the challenge.

The Class of 2018 alum is now training for the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3—while raising funds for the Organization for Autism Research’s Run for Autism team.

In preparation for the marathon, Levey said she will have completed more than 25 weeks of training. Her previous athletic training includes growing up playing soccer competitively from the age of 5 to about 17 through club and school teams.

“When I went to college, I moved from Los Angeles to New York and went to NYU, graduated 2021,” Levey explained. “I tried to stay athletic in New York City, but it wasn’t more than core workouts in my room, the occasional gym membership that barely lasted a month and then running around the neighborhood.”

She said it is “nothing like LA,” since the city is all “concrete.” But last year, she had a coworker who ran the marathon, which inspired Levey to try to do it as well.

“I love giving myself really big challenges,” she explained. “It’s one of my favorite things to do.”

The training sessions started “very small,” Levey described, beginning with a one-mile run, then two miles, once or twice per week.

“About six months ago,” she said, “I decided to make this massive spreadsheet that basically was a 25-week plan of how I would run in preparation for the actual marathon.”

Levey said she feels “awesome,” that it has been “insane to watch” her body “transform back into being an actual athlete.”

In order to run in the New York City Marathon, participants either need to qualify at a previous race or be sponsored by a charity. A friend who had previously run in NYC with OAR’s team suggested Levey check it out.

Levey said she joined OAR’s Run for Autism NYC team—which includes 110 runners—because she has “personal experience with schooling and health care” for individuals with autism, beginning while she was attending Pali High.

“When I worked as a tutor for children with developmental disorders, I learned the importance of helping adolescents through proper encouragement and lesson plans geared to their understanding,” Levey wrote. “I also assisted my mother in California, who works as an aid for autistic adults. The relationships I built have changed me forever and helped me recognize how we all must become a better support system for the autistic community.”

Levey said she “developed such attachments to the children,” and she saw “how important it was” that each student received a good education. This prompted her to learn more and develop a tutoring plan geared toward each participant as individuals.

“It felt so rewarding to get their report cards back and see that they were progressing,” Levey said of tutoring with the specific plan, “and teachers making comments that they could see the kids were all doing better in school.”

“[The Organization for Autism Research] was founded 20-plus years ago by the loved ones of children with autism who now act as the Board of Directors,” Levey explained. “Alongside the board, educators, self-advocates, researchers and volunteers work toward OAR’s mission of bettering the quality of life for those with autism. This is done by improving educational resources, social interactions, family spheres, workplaces and other environments of everyday interaction for those with autism.”

OAR’s Run for Autism team—which is the main fundraising branch for the organization—takes part in several athletic events throughout the year, including the Pittsburgh Marathon, Big Sur Marathon, Chicago Marathon and Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.

“While the program is called ‘Run’ for Autism, we invite you to take part in whatever athletic adventure you choose,” the website read. “Whether you are summiting a mountain, walking a local 5K or competing in a bike race, you can dedicate your miles to life-changing autism research.”

For the New York City Marathon, Levey has set a fundraising goal of $3,500—of which she had raised just over $2,700 at print time on Tuesday, October 22. She listed some of the ways OAR will use the funds raised through the team, including $10 for a “Curriculum in a Box” professional development set for general education teachers to $3,000, which provides a scholarship for a student with autism to attend college.

“Thank you so much for your support during this crucial period of my life, as both a participant in the NYC Marathon and advocate for OAR: Run for Autism,” Levey said. “Any amount you can donate is appreciated.”