I would like to take a moment to share how we had the pleasure of meeting James (Jim) Lally.
It all began when I, Zhennan Zhang, arrived in the United States at the end of 2019.
Being an avid marathon enthusiast, I wanted to continue my passion for running in this new country. So, I decided to sign up for the 2020 Kentucky Derby Marathon, where I had the opportunity to meet Jim during the marathon's training camp.
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| First time meeting Jim Lally Feb. 29, 2020 by Ashtan Leftmost: Zhennan Zhang, rightmost: James (Jim) Lally |
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| Talk with Jim Lally Feb. 29, 2020 |
Our first run together was on February 29, 2020, and we had a group photo taken by Ashtan, with Jim Lally on the right. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, all training was subsequently canceled.
However, our friendship did not falter as those who share a
love for running always have the chance to meet again. Jim kindly invited me to
join his running group on July 11, 2020, and we had the opportunity to run 8
miles at Iroquois Park.
On August 16, 2020, we ran the Blackacre Trail together and
took photos to commemorate the occasion.
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| Run Blackacre Trail Aug. 16, 2020 by DC timing |
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Following this, I joined the Fleet Feet running group, where
Jim was the captain of the faster group, and Siqi was a member of the slower
group. This is how Jim and Siqi were introduced to each other.
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We also had the opportunity to run the Downtown Doubler on September 19, 2021, and Great Buffalo Chase 5K together on July 4, 2022, and took a photo to remember the occasion.
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| Downtown Doubler Sep.19, 2021 |
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| Great Buffalo Chase 5K (Zhennan, Siqi, Jim Lally) July 4, 2022 |
We also often shared updates on Facebook, which allowed Jim to become more familiar with Siqi. We shared our wedding photos on Facebook On October 23, 2022, and Jim congratulated us on Facebook as well as our runs afterward.
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| Congrats from Jim Oct. 23, 2022 |
After that, we participated together in the 170th Joe Creason Park Run on January 7, 2023.
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| 170th Joe Creason Park Run Jan. 7, 2023 |
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| 170th Joe Creason Park Run (Zhennan, Siqi, Jim Lally) Jan. 7, 2023 by Zhennan Zhang From left to Right: Zhennan Zhang, Siqi Wang, James (Jim) Lally |
On this day, January 23, 2023, I had the honor of inviting
Jim Lally to write a letter of statement for me. He graciously agreed.
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| Invite Jim to write friends statements Jan. 23, 2023 |
Since I usaually used my English name "Arsenan" during our daily activities. Here I told Jim about my Chinese name "Zhennan Zhang". Afterwards, we use "Zhennan Zhang" in the Affidavit
Siqi and I are deeply grateful for his generosity and support.
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| Appreciate our friends |
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