The annual American Heart Association’s (AHA) NJ Tri-County Heart Walk is taking place on Saturday, October 2nd — and you can participate either virtually OR in-person at Overpeck County Park in Ridgefield Park at 9AM! Walkers and runners can choose to participate at the park or run their own path anywhere else – donations to the organization will help improve lives and spread awareness for stroke and heart attack victims, as well as Congenital Heart Defect survivors. One such survivor is our Hoboken Girl founder, Jennifer Tripucka.
The Event
Join us virtually (or in-person on 10/2( to raise awareness and research money for Congenital Heart Defects and strokes/heart disease. Click HERE to join our team/donate.
Hoboken Girl Founder Jen’s Story
This heart walk hits very close to home, as Jennifer Casson Tripucka, founder of The Hoboken Girl, is the American Heart Association’s 2021 Survivor Ambassador!
^Jen and her pups
Growing up, Jen has dealt with a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries. Her operation at 4 months old helped make sure blood flowed properly between her heart, lungs, and the rest of her body.
“My parents went out of their way to treat me normally,” she said. “I’ve always been extremely grateful for that.”
Throughout her life, she has struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, first in grade school and particularly as she left home for college and graduate school.
Part of the problem, she’s come to believe, was she hadn’t fully accepted her heart history. When she talked about it, she’d tell people “I had heart surgery, but I’m all better now.”
“I realize now that I was trying to downplay my condition and the fact at some point, I might need another open-heart surgery.”
“Patients with CHDs are unique in that you only have the information you ‘re given as a child … (then), you have to actively seek the adult version of what’s going on, and what happened to you.”
She is excited to be raising awareness and donations for both those with Congenital Heart Defects and the American Heart Association in general.
Learn more about her story here and join/donate to her Virtual Hoboken Girl Heart Walk Team here.
You can also follow Jen’s story on her Instagram where she raises awareness for CHD regularly (plus fosters some cute pups): @thejennifertrip.
About the Heart Walk
The Heart Walk has always been about coming together – “getting hearts pumping, honoring survivors, raising life-saving funds. This is not just another finish line. It’s a movement for the health and well-being of us all. We hope you’ll be a part of it,” says the American Heart Association.
The Hoboken Girl is proud to be a media sponsor of the event, and we encourage everyone to join our team: Jen’s CHD Warriors. We have a goal of $2500 toward heart research.
When you register, you’re helping:
- – Save children who have congenital heart defects + need more awareness / research
- – Train thousands in life-saving CPR
- – Fund groundbreaking brain and heart research
- – Champion health equity for all
Participants can use the AHA’s activity tracker and movement challenges via the organization’s mobile app. The app also features a playlist just for walkers/runners and participants have the opportunity to in Heart Walk gear.
Find the nearest Heart Walk to you via this link, but make sure to join our CHD Warriors team here!
A note about COVID from the AHA:
“The American Heart Association is creating mask-friendly environments at all our events. Vaccinated attendees will have the option of choosing whether to wear a mask, while those who are unvaccinated will need to wear a mask. Please do not attend an AHA event if you are not feeling well or have symptoms, irrespective of your vaccine status.”
Read More: Disability Resources in New Jersey
About the American Heart Association
Six cardiologists founded the American Heart Association in 1924 and it has grown into the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The AHA has invested more than $4.8 billion in research, making us the largest not-for-profit funding source for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease research next to the federal government.
Join/donate to our team here — and a huge thank you for helping raise awareness and funding for research CHD and heart defects/disease. We truly appreciate you and hope you’ll join our cause.
