Talaya Frazier is running to raise awareness for sick children

Talaya Frazier is running for a reason. The Bee Cave mother is competing in races and marathons to raise money and awareness for sick children. And with a recently completed Boston Marathon and a cover story in Runner's World, Frazier is bringing plenty of attention to her cause.

"I want to use my racing as a tool to bring awareness to children and go from there," she said.

Frazier started running competitively in 2006 after her daughter Cheyanna was born. As a young child, Cheyanna was a fructose and sucrose malabsorber and had Frazier and her husband constantly looking for a cure.

Frazier said running, at the time, gave her a much-needed outlet.

"Running became therapy for me," she said. "I think God brought that into my life just to cope with her sickness."

Frazier ran her first marathon in 2006. She did well enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2007, which she completed and has now run six times.

In addition to the Boston Marathon, Frazier has run in 20 marathons and triathlons over the past six years. She has placed in or won many of the races.

After completing several races, Frazier became a World Vision ambassador for children. World Vision is a Christian nonprofit that helps families in need across the globe, according to its website.

Frazier has sponsored more than 45 children through World Vision, helping pay for food, water, vaccinations and education.

"My heart was compelled to help children because I was in that same situation," she said.

This year Frazier started her own nonprofit, the Cheyanna Foundation. The foundation raises money for sick children's treatments and goods that are not covered by insurance.

She said her experiences with her daughter made her believe in the good that additional supplements and treatments can have in addition to traditional medicine.

"If I help one child or 10 or a thousand, it is that many that weren't helped before," she said.

This year Frazier has been running to support Skylar, who was a friend of her daughter's from when she was sick.

Skylar had septic strep that settled in her hip.

During the Boston Marathon, Frazier wore purple—Skylar's favorite color—and donned a shirt that said Skylar's Finish Line. Frazier said she hoped showing support for Skylar would encourage her to get well and walk on her own again.

"The time isn't important to me," Frazier said. "I don't care if I'm the fastest, but I do care about being able to bring a child hope."

How to help

People can donate to the Cheyanna Foundation at www.cheyanna.org.

The money will go toward providing resources for sick children who are not covered by health insurance. Talaya Frazier named her foundation after her daughter who was sick as a child but is now well.

People can also donate to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that works with children, families and communities around the world, at www.worldvision.org. People can sponsor a child to provide clean water and nutritious food.