When 30-year-old Elizabeth Lawlor was on the last stretch of the Boston Marathon, she knew her boyfriend, Andrew Chuma, had already finished the race. She was excited to see him at the finish line, but she didn’t know he had something very special waiting for her.
Watch the video above to see a runner’s reaction to a life-changing surprise!
The couple’s journey began through the Boston Marathon itself. Given the race’s stringent qualifying standards, many runners opt to participate through charity sponsorship. Just a year before this year’s race, 28-year-old Andrew and his two brothers organized a 3-mile fundraising run for a marathon charity called Colin’s Joy Project. There, fate intervened as he met Elizabeth. When he later made a $100 donation on her fundraising page, she reached out to thank him, and a romance began.
Fast forward a year, and Andrew secretly planned to pop the question at the marathon finish line. “I decided to make it a full-circle moment,” he said. “And it was very special.
Originally from Connecticut, Andrew found solace in the running community after relocating to Boston. Despite his background as a college athlete, he saw running as a personal challenge and an opportunity to contribute to a greater cause – a sentiment shared by Elizabeth.
Colin’s Joy Project, the charity through which the couple met and now represent, emerged from the tragic loss of 3-year-old Colin when he was struck and killed by a car while on the sidewalk. Moved by the tragedy, Colin’s parents established the charity to foster a safer community and extend support to children and families in need.
For Andrew and Elizabeth, the spirit and mission of this charity are the cornerstone of their relationship. Andrew expressed his desire for their bond to embody resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity: “I want our entire relationship to be based on this concept,” he said. “It’s not because something bad happened; it’s because something bad happened and then a couple of people decided to pick up the pieces and be resilient and keep it going.”
Watch the video below for the full story and hear from Elizabeth and Andrew themselves!
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