AuPairCare, one of the leading au pair agencies in the United States, is proud to announce that Eric T., a participating au pair from France, will be running in the 2019 New York City Marathon. The mission of the 26.2-mile marathon is to help and inspire people through running. Over the course of 50 years, the NYC Marathon has grown from a local race held in Central Park to the world’s largest marathon.
Eric’s mother inspired him to become an au pair. She spent her late teens as an au pair and encouraged him to take the opportunity to improve his English, travel, and learn more about American culture. Upon arriving to his host family in Syosset, New York, Eric and his host dad immediately bonded over their shared passion for running. His host dad suggested running the NYC Marathon as a way to meet people and have a new experience.
The charity that Eric is sponsoring during the NYC Marathon is called Team For Kids. Funds raised by Team for Kids members support Rising New York Road Runners (NYRR), an organization that brings free running and fitness programs to students across the country. For most of the participating students, running with an NYRR program is their only opportunity to get exercise or play sports. “I discovered such a friendly community and have met amazing people at NYRR,” says Eric. “I feel it's really important to help kids to be successful and confident. They are our future, and sports is a great way to engage with them and offering kids an outlet to make friends and get to know people.”
While Eric has always enjoyed running, this will be his first organized race, and first marathon! Eric began training for the marathon in December 2018, running 3-4 runs per week. He said, “It wasn't easy, especially in winter with the snow and cold, but my host family was always there to support me and challenge me. It helped me to push through.” Eric said, “I really feel like the journey to the marathon is worth the destination, and I have really enjoyed the training.”
Over 50,000 runners, 12,000 volunteers, and 400 official charity partners, will participate in the NYC Marathon on November 3, 2019. AuPairCare will be cheering on Eric and over 60 local AuPairCare au pairs will be volunteering at the event.
During his au pair program, Eric has made new friends from all around the world stating, “The best part about being an au pair is being able to experience other cultures and share my home culture with new friends I meet.” In addition, Eric’s host family now has a new appreciation for French cooking! “I share a lot about French food with my host family. In France, we have a lot of delicious bakeries and cheese! We can't find all of them here in the USA, but I made them try a few of them. We also enjoy talking about the news and what's going on in France and the world.”
