Stamford, Conn.– November 1, 2018 – Each November, athletes from over 100 countries travel to the USA to participate in the New York City Marathon. Martyna Nowacka, marathon rookie and au pair from Poland, will join the pack of runners striving towards 26.2 miles this Sunday.

Though thousands of miles from home, Nowacka feels like a local in her host city of Washington, D.C. While in D.C. she started identifying herself as a runner – and, by doing so, joined a global community of people who do the same.

“When I moved to D.C. to become an au pair, I faced a few challenges that I wasn’t really prepared for,” Nowacka said. “Sometimes, it’s really difficult to move to a completely different place where I don’t know anyone – but running is universal. It connects me with an amazing, worldwide community. Anywhere I go in the world and start running, there is always someone who would join me. It makes me feel like a part of something greater – wherever I am in that moment.”

Nowacka is in the United States with Au Pair in America, an Exchange Visitor Program that combines live-in child care and cultural exchange. Since arriving in the U.S., Nowacka’s journey as a runner soared to new heights – from barely running in January, to accomplishing two half-marathons over the past few months alone.

Nowacka lives with her host family in D.C., caring for their young children and sharing a unique intercultural exchange experience. She cites her American host family’s support and motivation as key factors in her training.

Nowacka also credits her child care experience as inspiration for developing her training regime in such a short period of time: “It’s not always easy to train for a marathon, but training is actually similar to working with children. If you can’t do one specific thing you were going to do, you just need to find a way around it. Sometimes it’s enough to do something fun and easy. The most important thing is to keep yourself going.”

Similarly, she said that running has amplified her cultural exchange experience too: “By participating in races, my knowledge about what America has to offer grows every single day. It opens me up to things that are happening around my area and makes me interested in events organized all over the USA. I feel like because of that my au pair experience is so much better.”

Now, Nowacka faces one of the biggest challenges of her life as she prepares for Sunday’s Marathon. But with that challenge comes potential for an unprecedented sense of pride – and belonging – as she joins an inspiring, global community of marathon runners.

For more information about Au Pair in America, visit www.aupairinamerica.com.

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The nation’s first and largest au pair program, Au Pair in America combines live-in child care and cultural exchange for a mutually rewarding and enriching experience for the entire family. Au Pair in America receives applicants come from nearly 60 countries. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Au Pair in America maintains offices in five countries with a network of more than 600 employees worldwide.