Heitzmann completes marathon for Remember Me Rescue

Carmel Heitzmann, once a flight attendant for Emirates Airlines but in more

recent times the stable foreman for her trainer-husband Eric Heitzmann at Fair

Grounds, successfully completed a journey on foot around the Crescent City last

Sunday by finishing the New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in four hours and 32

minutes.

Later in the afternoon, Heitzmann showed up for her day job in time to lead

Elle Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic) -- trained by her husband -- over to the paddock

for the 6TH race of the day. Adorned with awards attained from her morning run,

she accepted congratulations and cheers from her host of admirers who were aware

of her self-imposed but selfless morning assignment.

It was a selfless journey because some weeks ago the British-born but

Irish-raised horsewoman had announced that any pledges received on behalf of her

marathon run would be donated to Remember Me Rescue, a non-profit horse rescue

organization run by her friends Donna and Dallas Keen that assists retired and

injured racehorses after their careers at the track are over.

What makes her successful marathon most unusual is that Heitzmann was

severely injured when kicked by a horse in front of the Fair Grounds stands just

over a year ago, and for the first critical hours and days after her accident

Heitzmann's life was considered to be in jeopardy. However, following

exploratory surgery that led to the removal of 24 inches of her colon, she was

released from the hospital 10 days later.

During training hours Wednesday morning at Fair Grounds, Heitzmann reflected

on her intense Sunday morning tour of New Orleans.

"I feel good today," she said. "I'm still a little tired, and I was sore

yesterday, but today I'm fine. The worst part of the run for me was at mile 21.

At that point I was starting to get a little discouraged, but then Eric was

there to greet me at mile 22 and handed me some Gatorade. That really picked my

spirits up and after that I felt just fine the rest of the way."

Although the final totals of Heitzmann's charitable marathon run are still

incomplete, she was able to update.

"So far, I have personally been able to account for pledges of more than

$7,500," she said Wednesday, "and I believe Donna told me that she has about

$1,000 that has come through Remember Me Rescue's website at this time. However,

my parents are going to be visiting me here in New Orleans in the next few days,

and I believe they are going to bring me some more contributions from England

and Ireland.

"I'm just so grateful to everybody that has been supporting me throughout

this," she concluded. "I want to thank everyone and let them know that I might

come back in next year's marathon, be able to train a little harder for it than

I could this year and hopefully come home in an even better time."