Photo courtesy of Alan Markowitz Patti Markowitz, center, of Westlake Village, surrounded by family members and a friend, waits to begin the marathon.

An avid runner for more than 20 years and a personal fitness trainer at the Westlake Tennis & Swim Club for over a decade, Patti Markowitz has long been the epitome of good health. So when she suffered a stroke less than a year ago, she decided to fulfill her lifelong dream to run a marathon as part of the healing process.

"I've always dreamed of running a full marathon, so when I had a stroke last October I thought that dream would always be that — just a dream," recalled Markowitz, 48, of Westlake Village. "I feel so grateful that I fully recovered, and able to continue to run."

On June 3, Markowitz finished a 26.2-mile course in San Diego for the American Stroke Association's Train to End Stroke program. In honor of her goal, her husband, Alan, and three children, Troy, Jacklyn and Adam, joined her on the trek.

"Our children truly amazed us both," said Alan, who trained for 16 weeks with his wife and helped raise $7,000 toward the cause. "To think that our children hadn't even trained for this event, and to complete the full 26.2-mile course is truly a demonstration of their drive, and a tribute to their stroke hero, and mom."

When Patti first suffered from a stroke, she and her husband hadn't made the connection from her symptoms to what actually occurred, and didn't even go to the hospital, her husband said.

"It wasn't until the next day that other symptoms began to occur that immediately caused us to react differently," he remembered.

After numerous tests, it appeared that the stroke may have been caused by a hole in the heart called the foramen ovale, which normally closes shortly after birth. When the foramen ovale remains open, it can allow blood to potentially or actually mix between the two atria, creating a possible risk factor for stroke and systemic embolism because of the potential formation of blood clots.

Looking back, Patti admits she was in denial many months after the stroke.

"I didn't tell many people. By doing so I felt that it would have validated the event, making it more real in my own mind," said Patti, who is currently on an anti-platelet medication to minimize the risk of a re-occurrence of a stroke. "I also needed to prove to myself that I could become whole again."

Once she made the commitment to do a marathon, "I decided to train harder to get stronger, and I ran longer distances to prove to myself that I was fine. Choosing to partake in a marathon eventually made it easier to talk about my stroke to others. Every day I'm learning to accept what has happened."

Troy Markowitz, 26, said his mom, dad, brother and sister inspired him to participate in the marathon.

"The personal satisfaction I gained from this experience is that I did not give up," said Troy. "I did not train for this type of strenuous activity, so while my legs were cramping up and feeling like they were going to give out I stuck with it and toughed it out and made it."

Adam Markowitz, 20, said he reaped the satisfaction of completing a tremendous feat for an important cause.

"I hope to inspire people to set high goals for themselves that might seem unattainable at first," he said.

Jacklyn Markowitz, 25, said her mother was the main inspiration behind her participation.

"Not only was this a chance for my family to participate in something amazing together, but also to show my mom that we support her in her time of need. This was our way of helping our mother heal."

Running the entire 26.2 miles alongside her mom made them closer, she added.

"My mom was constantly cheering me on, and telling me that I can do it; we were each other's cheerleader. I know that I would not have been able to finish without her running next to me. She is my inspiration, my hero, and my friend. This experience was the best thing I have ever been a part of, and it is so great to know that we did it as a family."