Brigitte ran the 2026 Rio Grande One Medal 5k on August 9, 2026 for her son Leo.
I am running this 5K for my son Leo! At 20 weeks pregnant I found out that my son was going to be born with a cleft lip and palate. He decided to grace us early by making my body desert me (lightly joking about getting preeclampsia) and ended up being born at 33 weeks and 3 days.
Since then it’s been a long journey, he stayed in the NICU for 55 days where he’s had oxygen tubes and feeding tubes while he acclimated to the outside world and learned how to use the special cleft bottles. He’s had three surgeries, one to install a stomach g-tube because of issues aspirating on the special bottles, on to fix his nose and lip and one to fix his palate. He’s the definition of a warrior. He is the happiest little dude and through everything, his adorable fighting spirit shows itself constantly.
I am running for him because he is the epitome of persevering which I think translates to running pretty seamlessly. Here’s to you little Leo Legend!!!
