Only a certain few dare to ask themselves whether they can accomplish the ultimate of both physical and mental challenges, and for three daring individuals, the answer was “yes”. One small but deliberate word united them on a crisp fall, New York morning where they stood together, amidst 52,000 others, on the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge at the starting line of the 2018 New York City Marathon.
“Life is a marathon. You need to run through it in order to run to it,” Ronald Zarembok, Associate Broker with EXIT Realty Achieve in Smithtown, New York, mused after tackling the 26.2-mile marathon at the age of 50. “Since my first race, I began relating life to a marathon. Whether it’s financial, personal or spiritual goals, you have to run that first mile before you get to mile 26.”
In the weeks following his first NYC Marathon where he helped to raise funds for Candles For Hope, Ronald has set his sights on another running event and steadily growing his real estate career, because for him it’s less about time and more about always staying accountable. “I’m thinking about running a race in Chattanooga, TN. I’ve never quit anything that I’ve started, and I want to impress that philosophy on my 11-year-old daughter, Jenna. I want to be a positive role model for her,” he said.
While at his second EXIT Realty Convention, Ronald found himself in the hotel gym on a treadmill next to fellow marathoner Erica Rose Siegel, Sales Representative with EXIT Kingdom Realty in Forest Hills, New York. “Erica mentioned that she was a runner, and by the end of the conversation I was motivated to sign up for a 10-kilometer event, which turned into me changing my registration into a half marathon,” he said.
Since beginning her marathon journey with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training in 2011, it has been the knowledge of all those for whom she is running that keeps Erica going. On November 4, 2018, the morning of her second NYC Marathon attempt, she stood tenaciously waiting in her running jersey covered in blue ribbons to represent all those she carries with her.
“The people who have battled and survived cancer and their perseverance definitely motivate me to not give up, in addition to those who’ve lost the battle with cancer and have left behind loved ones. Knowing that I have a little piece of them with me when I cross that finish line definitely keeps me going,” she explained. “It’s also knowing that my training, as well as my accomplishing the goal of completing another 26.2-mile race, is inspiring others to go after their goals and to keep pushing through even if they have set backs or cannot see the finish line.”
Not only an avid runner, Erica is also an impassioned affirmer who also brings her affirmations with her on every run, even chanting them during each race. “The goal for this past marathon was to finish in under four hours. I got a cramp at mile 14 and truth be told, if it wasn’t for my affirmations, the ribbons on my shirt and the amazing crowd, I honestly don’t think I could’ve finished it.”
Like Erica, Nick Libert, Broker/Owner of EXIT Strategy Realty in Chicago, Illinois, was also part of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team in Training. On the morning of November 4th, 2018, he would find himself many miles from home in a sea of strange faces, as he embarked on the first marathon challenge of his life.
Nick began taking his health very seriously in recent years, committing to an exercise regime inspired by the book The Miracle Morning, which he built on to train for the New York event. “I was already doing my workouts early in the morning, but for the marathon I was waking up even earlier, at 4:30am. Fridays were marathon mornings,” he explained. “When I exercise in the morning, the rest of my day goes so much better, and that carries into my prospecting. I get my dollar-producing activity in, and my exercise out of the way before anyone else, so if anything comes up or gets in the way I’ve already done the two things that are going to feed me and fuel me for the rest of day.”
What started as a means to pay his way through under-grad school, real estate sales became a 20-year career for Nick, more than ten of which he has enjoyed with EXIT Realty. He believes in working hard, playing hard and doing good while you’re doing it, as is evident from his three successful brokerages.
With the exhaustion and euphoria of crossing the finish line now behind them, Ronald Zarembok, Erica Rose Siegel and Nick Libert have all celebrated, rested and settled back into their work and personal lives. One thing is for certain, each will return to their running because it’s a time where they can quiet their mind, hear their heart beat, and focus on their thoughts. And like true achievers they will seize their tomorrows with a resounding, “Yes, I can!” to whatever challenge, or marathon, they embark on next.
The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. None of the information presented is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
