Why This Mom of 2 Is Running 29 Marathons in a Year (Exclusive) [Video]

Summer Willis “couldn’t run a mile” and was still breastfeeding her baby multiple times a night when she stunned her husband Andrew with an announcement. She planned to run 29 marathons in a year, starting in Sept. 2023. It was July.

“At first, he said, ‘I know my wife didn’t just say 29 marathons,’ ” Summer, 29, tells PEOPLE. “But we started talking through the logistics and ever since then he’s [helped me] to make it possible.”

The following morning, the mom of two shared the news with her Instagram followers. Years after a “devastating” sexual assault, she realized she’d never fully processed what happened to her, she wrote, adding, “[The] weight of my silence grew heavier with each passing day and the side effects of the trauma were always there.” So, Summer decided to “conquer” nearly 30 marathons in a year (starting the month before she turned 29) to “raise awareness and funds for …