My Why: Ernest Holly
On Sunday, November 5, 2023, Team Reeve will take on the TCS New York City Marathon! 2022 was a record-breaking year for Team Reeve NYC, raising over $565,000 for paralysis research! We want to continue the momentum for 2023!
Four years ago, Ernest Holly thought anybody who ran a marathon was crazy. But during the pandemic, his perspective changed.
“Running has become a fundamental piece of me, a way to be healthy and be a better person,” says Ernest, who is training to run the TSC New York City Marathon, his fourth marathon and first as part of Team Reeve.
“I’ve always wanted to run a World Marathon Major, and this is the perfect opportunity to merge my love of running with my wife’s story and bring awareness to the Reeve Foundation and spinal cord injury community. I’m excited to represent Team Reeve while honoring her.”
Ernest met his wife, Anna, on social media in 2011. They chatted online for a couple of months, then decided to meet in person while Ernest was home from college during winter break
“She asked if I was ok with her being in a wheelchair, and I was shocked. We had exchanged pictures, but I never even noticed that she was in a wheelchair,” says Ernest. The two got married in 2014.
At 14 months old, not long after she had taken her first steps in 1992, Anna was struck in the front of the neck by a stray bullet during a drug deal shootout in her neighbor’s upstairs apartment. She sustained a C6 incomplete injury and lost the ability to move below her waist
“I was around able-bodied people my whole life, and hearing about a famous actor being injured was really an eye-opening experience for me,” says Anna. “It was the first time I’d heard about someone in his position with similar challenges who I could relate to.”
At age 12, Anna met some women who were Reeve Foundation Peer & Family Support Program mentors while she was in the hospital for surgery. In 2017, after becoming a mom two years before, she decided to become a peer mentor herself.
“I thought, ‘Let me see if I can reach other women in wheelchairs who want to be a mom.’ I wanted to share my experience and learn from others,” says Anna, who is now 32 years old.
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Last fall, Anna participated in a Reeve Foundation webinar with a panel of four women to share resources to address the limited availability and affordability of Detroit area housing for people living with a disability. This spring, Anna realized a longtime dream when she was hired to be a Reeve Foundation information specialist coordinator.
“I have wanted to work for the Reeve Foundation for years, and I would push myself to apply then chicken out," says Anna. "I'm excited to work as the first line of contact to connect people with the resources to live full lives.”
It was through Anna that Ernest first learned about Team Reeve.
“I’m honored to run the marathon as part of Team Reeve,” says Ernest. “Anna’s story and her life inspire me so much, and I've always felt like the world needed to hear it. She always told me how the doctors said what she would and would not be able to do, but boy were they wrong.”
“Fast forward 30 years, and she's a full-time wife and mom, college graduate, leader in marketing solutions, business owner, peer mentor, and, quite frankly, the most incredible person I’ve ever met. To go through what she's been through and to be where she's at is nothing short of amazing.”
Since he started running, Ernest has lost more than 110 pounds. He hopes to inspire others to get healthy and active.
“Anybody can do it. It’s not as daunting as it may seem,” says Ernest. “You don’t have to be fast. Everyone gets a medal. Having a goal and seeing it through is one of the most inspiring things you can do. The best part for me is seeing Anna at the finish line.”