{"id":29636,"date":"2026-09-28T03:55:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T03:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=29636"},"modified":"2026-09-28T03:55:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T03:55:28","slug":"meet-sister-stephanie-baliga-once-an-aspiring-elite-runner-she-became-a-nun-and-raised-over-2-6-million-through-the-chicago-marathon-shes-still-running-to-help-families-in-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=29636","title":{"rendered":"Meet Sister Stephanie Baliga: Once an aspiring elite runner, she became a nun and raised over $2.6 million through the Chicago Marathon; she\u2019s still running to help families in need"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134525992,imgsize-146055,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg\" alt=\"Meet Sister Stephanie Baliga: Once an aspiring elite runner, she became a nun and raised over $2.6 million through the Chicago Marathon; she\u2019s still running to help families in need\" title=\"Sister Stephanie Baliga turned her passion for running into a mission to help families in need. (Photo: WTTW\/Mission of Our Lady of Angels)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Sister Stephanie Baliga turned her passion for running into a mission to help families in need. (Photo: WTTW\/Mission of Our Lady of Angels)\">Sister Stephanie Baliga turned her passion for running into a mission to help families in need. (Photo: WTTW\/Mission of Our Lady of Angels)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sister Stephanie Baliga once dreamed of becoming an elite athlete. Today, the former Division I runner is using that same passion for running to help feed families and senior citizens in her Chicago community.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>For the past 15 years, Baliga has taken part in the Chicago Marathon as part of the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels (MOLA) charity team. According to MOLA, the marathon team has raised more than $2.6 million between 2011 and 2025, helping support the organisation\u2019s food pantry and community services.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>This fall, Baliga and nearly 200 members of Team OLA are expected to return for the 16th consecutive Chicago Marathon, with a fundraising goal of $500,000.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Sister Stephanie\u2019s journey from running to religious life<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sister Stephanie Baliga has raised over $2.6 million through the Chicago Marathon.\" msid=\"134526001\" imgsize=\"1336215\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"Sister Stephanie Baliga has raised over $2.6 million through the Chicago Marathon. (Photo: WTTW)\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-1336215,msid-134526001\/sister-stephanie-baliga-has-raised-over-2-6-million-through-the-chicago-marathon.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sister Stephanie Baliga has raised over $2.6 million through the Chicago Marathon. (Photo: WTTW)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/>Baliga began running when she was nine years old, and the sport quickly became central to her identity.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>\u201cI started running when I was 9, and running became my life,\u201d she told WTTW. \u201cIt was how I defined myself and who I was.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>As a student-athlete at the University of Illinois, Baliga was the sixth-fastest freshman runner in the nation. She trained for hours each day and was preparing for a potential professional career.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>At the time, even a marathon time of 2 hours and 53 minutes, fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon, did not feel good enough to her.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>\u201cThe challenge of being an elite athlete is that you\u2019re never satisfied with anything you\u2019re doing,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>Her path changed when she fractured her foot during her sophomore year. Forced to spend less time running, she turned toward prayer and eventually realised she wanted to devote her life to God.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/>\u201cJesus saw me for who I was. He was not looking for my straight A\u2019s or my fast running times; he was just seeking to love me wherever I was at,\u201d Baliga said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Her running now helps feed hundreds of families<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Every mile matters: Sister Stephanie Baliga continues running to support a Chicago food pantry.\" msid=\"134526009\" imgsize=\"153284\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"Every mile matters: Sister Stephanie Baliga continues running to support a Chicago food pantry. (Photo: Mission of Our Lady of Angels)\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-153284,msid-134526009\/every-mile-matters-sister-stephanie-baliga-continues-running-to-support-a-chicago-food-pantry.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Every mile matters: Sister Stephanie Baliga continues running to support a Chicago food pantry. (Photo: Mission of Our Lady of Angels)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>Baliga eventually found a way to combine her faith with her lifelong passion for running.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>Through the MOLA marathon team, she has spent the past 15 years raising money for the organisation\u2019s food pantry, which serves hundreds of families every week.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>\u201cWe serve about 400 to 500 families in person every Tuesday and we send about 300 deliveries to senior citizens between Monday and Tuesday each week,\u201d Baliga said. <!-- -->\u201cIt totally changed the way I live my life.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/>Father Bob Lombardo, who opened MOLA, said the organisation serves people regardless of their faith.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>\u201cAs we like to say, we do what we do because we\u2019re Catholic, not because the people we serve are Catholic,\u201d he told WTTW.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2><keyword id=\"39605728\" type=\"General\" weightage=\"20\" keywordseo=\"marathon-fundraising\" source=\"Orion\">Marathon fundraising<\/keyword> helped sustain the pantry<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The charity&#8217;s marathon efforts have had a significant impact on the food pantry, particularly during a period when demand increased sharply.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>\u201cThe marathon funding was key to expanding the pantry in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and was very key to us sustaining an extremely large pantry during the pandemic,\u201d Baliga said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"48\"\/>The team raised about $20,000 during its first marathon. Over the years, that total grew to more than $2.6 million.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>Reflecting on the amount raised, Baliga said, \u201cIt was insane. You\u2019re like, \u2018Woah, look at all those zeros! That\u2019s a lot of zeros.\u2019 The Lord provides.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Team OLA prepares for another Chicago Marathon<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sister Stephanie Baliga\u2019s marathon journey has helped raise millions for families in need.\" msid=\"134526013\" imgsize=\"152476\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"Sister Stephanie Baliga\u2019s marathon journey has helped raise millions for families in need. (Photo: Mission of Our Lady of Angels)\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-152476,msid-134526013\/sister-stephanie-baligas-marathon-journey-has-helped-raise-millions-for-families-in-need.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sister Stephanie Baliga\u2019s marathon journey has helped raise millions for families in need. (Photo: Mission of Our Lady of Angels)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"55\"\/>Baliga and nearly 200 Team OLA runners are preparing to run the Chicago Marathon for the 16th consecutive year.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"57\"\/>The team has set a goal of raising $500,000 this year. Baliga and the team also took part in a half marathon on June 10 as part of their preparations, raising around $16,000.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"60\"\/>The full marathon team had raised more than $184,000 toward this year\u2019s goal, according to the information provided by MOLA.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"62\"\/>Supporters have also embraced the team\u2019s mission. Other nuns and supporters have turned out with signs including \u201cYou vati-CAN do it\u201d and \u201cMay God have mercy on your soles,\u201d along with a cardboard cutout of Pope Leo.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"65\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>\u2018The Lord provides\u2019<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>MOLA describes Team OLA\u2019s mission as raising awareness and funds for the organisation while offering the time, energy and physical discomfort involved in marathon training in support of the people it serves.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"69\"\/>For Baliga, the meaning of running has changed dramatically.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"71\"\/>What once represented a pursuit of faster times and athletic perfection is now a way to help put food on the tables of families and senior citizens.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"73\"\/>\u201cYou\u2019re like, \u2018Woah, look at all those zeros! That\u2019s a lot of zeros,\u2019\u201d she said of the team\u2019s fundraising achievement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"75\"\/>\u201cThe Lord provides,\u201d Baliga added. \u201cGod\u2019s will is whatever is in front of you right now.\u201d<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/us\/meet-sister-stephanie-baliga-once-an-aspiring-elite-runner-she-became-a-nun-and-raised-over-2-6-million-through-the-chicago-marathon-shes-still-running-to-help-families-in-need\/articleshow\/134525986.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sister Stephanie Baliga turned her passion for running into a mission to help families in need. (Photo: WTTW\/Mission of Our Lady of Angels) Sister Stephanie Baliga once dreamed of becoming an elite athlete. Today, the former Division I runner is using that same passion for running to help feed families and senior citizens in her [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Sister Stephanie Baliga turned her passion for running into a mission to help families in need. (Photo: WTTW\/Mission of Our Lady of Angels) Sister Stephanie Baliga once dreamed of becoming an elite athlete. Today, the former Division I runner is using that same passion for running to help feed families and senior citizens in her [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sister-stephanie-baliga-turned-her-passion-for-running-into-a-mission-to-help-families-in-need.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}