Deb Mirabelli in her before photo
Deb Mirabelli, 44, of Berwyn,who has a daughter with Down syndrome, wants to run a 5K to benefit GiGi’s Playhouse, a resource center in Hoffman Estates and McHenry for families affected by the disorder.
She also earned her master’s degree in special education, but in the process of changing her life, she gained weight. The 5-foot-9-inch Mirabelli was measured at 236 pounds.
Mirabelli said she has received support from her friends, including one who told her that she was an inspiration. “I said, ‘Me? You are my inspiration.’”
Mirabelli is working with trainer Steve Amsden, who trained last year’s contest winner, policewoman Lisa Notarnicola. Amsden said he was going to “run her into the ground” with a varied training program that would include dumbbells and stair training.
Mirabelli has two other children, and wants to be able to do everything they do as they grow older.
“I need to drop the added weight to build my confidence,” Mirabelli said.