My story

I am honored to be selected as one of the participants in FitArlington Marine Corp 10k/ Marathon Training. I will only be doing the 10k.

I wanted to participate in this amazing race to help my self get back on my feet. In 2006 I had an AVM ( arteriovenous malformation) rupture in my brain, which caused an Intracerebral hemorrhage and a Hemorrhagic stroke. An AVM is a congenital defect that I was born with. Basically, there was an abnormal vessel in my brain. You never know if you have one and there are really no signs and symptoms until it ruptures. Seizures and headaches are the most generalized symptoms I had neither.

I had been a jogger for all my life. When my son was little I enjoyed jogging with him. Jogging was my passion. I felt that after I had my stroke it was ripped away. When I saw on the website that I could sumit my story, and maybe I would be selected. I was so excited to just give it a try. To me when I saw that I was selected I felt I had won a million dollars!!


Arlington has been a great place for my family and I. I was very blessed that my AVM ruptured in a region where there are some of the nations and world’s best neurosurgeons.

I wanted to do this to show my son and others that no matter what life puts in front of you. . . You must never give up!!! We all have our own daily fights, and this is mine. I am not going down without a fight. Toni Perez