Kaylee Surace is excited to be joining the Answer the Call team to run her first TCS New York City Marathon!
Kaylee officially started running about six years ago, but has always had a passion for fitness. Kaylee began CrossFit at the age of 14 and remains committed to pushing herself physically. She has also participated in the Suffolk County Marathon, held in her hometown of West Islip. Surrounded by a support system of friends that run, stay active, and encourage her to do the same, Kaylee has made the TCS New York City Marathon her next endeavor.
In addition to preparing for the marathon, Kaylee trained and ran an 88-mile run from West Islip to Montauk Point. This was not an organized race, but purely something that had been on her heart as a means to support and fundraise for Answer the Call. After completing her 88-mile journey, Kaylee hopes her body will be fully recovered and ready to take on the TCS New York City Marathon. We are incredibly proud of her dedication to running and to supporting our organization.
In choosing an organization to partner with, Kaylee shared that Answer the Call was a charity close to home, as she has many family members and friends that are first responders. Her first encounter with Answer the Call was during her middle school years when her assistant principal’s husband, a NYPD police officer, sadly passed away in the line of duty, leaving her and her young sons behind. Kaylee remembers how the community came together during this tragedy and the role Answer the Call played in supporting them.
While there are many different things that inspire Kaylee, the most important is the gratitude she carries about her physical ability to run and be active. She understands that this is not the case for everyone, and is encouraged to pursue difficult physical activities for herself and all those that don’t have the opportunity to.
For Kaylee, finishing a long run means a great post-run meal. Her go-to is a burger or a nice steak. Enjoying a good meal after a long run truly makes it all worthwhile.
To the families of fallen first responders, Kaylee shares: “Running is not that hard, it feels hard at time but it’s not. What’s hard is what you and your loved ones have been through. It’s an a honor to be able to do this for you.”
We are proud to have Kaylee on Team Answer the Call and cannot wait to cheer her on!
Click here to support Kaylee’s fundraising efforts!
Answer the Call’s 2025 Fall Intern, Morgan Schaefer, conducted this interview and wrote this blog post.
