DETROIT (WXYZ) — A travel nurse who is based in Kansas is celebrating two major milestones this weekend in Detroit: completing her ambitious goal of running 50 full and half marathons in all 50 states by her 50th birthday.
Michelle Floyd will cross the finish line at the Detroit Free Press Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 19, marking the completion of a 15-year journey that began in 2010. She turned 50 on Friday.
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"That was the main goal: 50 states by my 50th birthday," Floyd said.
Floyd's first race was in San Francisco, where her parents flew out to see her and support her from sidelines. What started as a single marathon evolved into an ambitious cross-country quest.
"I see a race and I can't not sign up," Floyd said.
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To achieve her goal, Floyd made significant career changes, becoming a travel nurse specifically to accommodate her racing schedule.
"It's 100% the reason why I quit my staff nursing jobs because at my staff nursing job, I wasn't able to take PTO because they were short-staffed all the time," Floyd said. "So, I had to say goodbye to my favorite place I worked to complete my goal, and it worked."
Floyd's mother, Jetta, watched her daughter's dedication grow over the years.
"She's always been very athletic — extremely. She always likes to stay active. She likes to travel," Jetta Floyd said.
Throughout her journey, Floyd completed five full marathons in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Illinois and half marathons in the remaining 45 states.
"It was just game on after that," Floyd said.
The Detroit Free Press Marathon will always hold special significance for Floyd as her final race.
"I'm super excited about this one. It's an international race; I get to go into Canada. It's going to be so exciting. I can't wait," Floyd said.
Floyd says this achievement isn't the end of her running career. She plans to continue racing and is considering participating in marathons in other countries.
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