MeKole Wells was just at the "thinking about running a marathon" stage in April when she told a close friend about her plans, which included joining the National AIDS Marathon Training Program ( NAMTP ) .
The friend, an African-American woman like Wells, looked at her and quietly said, "You should because it's something that I've experienced."
Moments later, Wells learned that her friend had just been diagnosed with HIV.
And shortly thereafter, Wells learned about another close friend, also an African-American female, who had contracted HIV.
Wells promptly signed the contract and joined the NAMTP, which raises funds for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) . She's now training for the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon in August and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October.
Wells is determined to raise $2,600 this summer.
"The marathon is my opportunity to do something for someone else," said Wells, 45, who lives in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood and is a high school teacher in Chicago for at-risk students. An accomplished jazz singer originally from Bakersfield, Calif., Wells has a partner of almost four years: Charon Crosby.
Wells has plenty of motivation for the runs, including her two Chicago friends who were recently diagnosed with HIV and one who recently died. Of course, her students—who range in age from 15 to 22—provide motivation as well.
"I know that I have to be an example for my students. I want them to see how perseverance can change you," Wells said. "A lot of the students say, 'I can't believe you're running the marathon. Are you crazy?'
"They think I'm as nutty as a fruitcake, but they love me because, as they say, 'We trust Miss Wells because she keeps it real.' They think it's 'pretty cool' that I'm running the marathon, and I think it gives them incentive to do something with their lives." She added that she is "very rewarded" by running the marathon.
Wells runs several times during the week by herself, and then joins other NAMTP runners on Saturday or Sunday along the lakefront.
"As I always tell my students: 'No matter what your circumstance is, you rise above the occasion. That's life; you've got to be better. Because life is going to label you according to what your production is,'" Wells said.
"I'm running for a lot of other people, and I know it will be very emotional at the start line.
"People of all races are dying of AIDS, of all ages," she added. "But that drives me, and the training has been very, very good so far. The National AIDS Marathon Training Program offers a camaraderie that you've never experienced before. Everyone is so loving, so kind; it's a great group."
So what's the biggest surprise so far during marathon training?
"I'm just shocked that I'm running three miles three times a week at 5:30 a.m.," she said, laughing.