GREENSBORO, N.C. — Running with a purpose.
"And I thought to myself well I can do that," Jessica Byerly said.
After scrolling on TikTok last November, Jessica Byerly came across the New York City Marathon.
"And just could see the joy and the happiness of all of these people who were out there running, and they were not worried about pace."
With a heart full of motivation, Byerly decided to sign up to run in this year's NYC marathon.
She trains by running 30 miles a week
"Eventually building up to 50 miles a week to get ready for the marathon."
Byerly is a part of the Tunnel To Towers team which is an organization created to help the families of military and first responders who've suffered losses.
She says she's running to honor the memory of Sgt. Philip Dale Nix.
Investigators say Nix was a Greensboro police officer shot and killed while trying to stop a crime from happening three months ago.
The dangers of being an officer hitting home as Byerly's husband is also apart of the force.
"My husband has been an officer with the Greensboro for nearly 21 years and he actually knew Philip he and Philip were partners for a very long time and they actually stayed friends through out the years. And so for me this was an opportunity that I could help in a way that was bigger than a donation," Byerly said.
So now she's stepping up to honor our first responders.
"Every time they pull someone over or every time, they knock on someone's door they are taking a chance with their life, and it could be a good situation and it could be a bad situation. I think about him every single day and I think about him every single miles that I run," Byerly said.
Community support for the Nix family continues to come in. We reached out to the Greensboro Police Department for comment. They said
"Since the tragic loss of Sgt. Dale Nix in late December, the Greensboro Police Department remains deeply grateful for the continued outpouring of support from the community and from across the country. From the many cards, letters, donations, and friendly visits, we are once again reminded of the wonderful people who call Greensboro home."
To donate or learn more about Byerly's efforts, click or tap HERE.