One Foot in Front of the Other

Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, was a perfect day for a long run in the Bay Area. I was training for a marathon and excited for a 20-miler that day. 

About 3 miles into my run, I was hit by a car while crossing the street and lost consciousness. An ambulance rushed me to the hospital. 

I don’t remember anything from the next month and a half. I later learned that I was hospitalized on that Sunday and two days later I suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and needed emergency lifesaving surgeries to halt a massive brain bleed. Over the following months, I had multiple operations and was eventually moved to a rehabilitation hospital. Thanks to physical, occupational and speech therapy, I slowly regained my ability to walk, read and speak. By the end of February, I was ready to go home. 

Growing up, I had always been a swimmer, but I discovered running in grad school. Running challenged me in new ways and brought zen — and I hoped that feeling would come back post-trauma. 

Seven months after the accident, my husband, Sekhar, proposed that we go to the track together. Maybe I was ready. I was breathless, but we ran and walked for 1 mile. It felt good. The zen was coming back. I wanted more. 

In summer 2024 I joined SameYou, a brain injury recovery charity. That August I learned that SameYou was sponsoring runners at the 2025 London Landmarks Half Marathon. I mentioned the race to a longtime Northwestern friend, Wendy Huang ’94, when we were catching up. She immediately said, “Let’s sign up!” She was thrilled to support me and my cause. Wendy lives in New York, so we would check in on our progress every week, and she always encouraged me. In the beginning, I was running just 3 miles at a time because I had suffered a seizure while running in February 2024. 

In early 2025, as the race drew closer, I continued having seizures during my runs. My neurologist increased the dosage of my anti-seizure medication and suggested I drink water every 2 miles. When I discovered a new hydration vest for runners, I felt revitalized.  

On race day, Sunday, April 6, 2025, Wendy and I started off near Big Ben at 10:30 a.m. It was sunny but cool. It was a highlight to see my family at the start and again at the 7-mile and 10-mile marks. They gave me high-fives. It felt like a mental hug and kiss. We were doing this together. 

Wendy and I held hands as we crossed the finish line. We embraced. We did it! It was my physical, mental and emotional marathon, and it was a triumphant victory.  

Monali Athanikar Narayanaswami ’94 lives in Palo Alto, Calif. Her daughter, Meena, is a junior at Northwestern.