Emily Rizzo, Wife Of MLB Star Anthony Rizzo, Is All Set For Big Marathon
Emily Rizzo, the wife of New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, experienced her first New York City marathon last fall. She was taken aback by the “electric” atmosphere of the city as spectators encouraged the runners as they powered through the 26.2-mile course through the boroughs.
“It just brought the entire city together in a way I’ve never seen,” Emily shared a memory with The Post recently. “Just strangers cheering on strangers, complete support and happiness.”
The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, which Rizzo established in 2012 to assist pediatric cancer patients and their families, will benefit from Emily’s participation in her first marathon, the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, on Sunday, Nov. 5. Emily will experience the same affection from the audience.
The Boston Red Sox picked Anthony in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft, and he recently completed his third season in New York. In April 2008, Anthony received a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
What has motivated Emily to complete her marathon adventure is the tenacity of those facing cancer and the unwavering support of their loved ones.
“These kids give it their all to fight cancer and these families give it their all to be there and support each other, I feel honored to put in the work to help support them,” she said.
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Ever since she was a little child, Emily has been involved in sports, although she views herself as a “spontaneous runner,” training more for fun than competition.
“It was always more of a hobby for me. It’s just a way to get out of your own head sometimes and a way to escape reality,” Emily said.
Emily has also used running as an opportunity to learn more about her surroundings.
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Emily ran as “a way to get out and learn the city” after moving to Chicago during Rizzo’s Cubs career (2012–21).
“I was like, ‘Oh, that nail salon looks good,’ or ‘This looks like a restaurant we should go to,’ and things like that, and then I feel like I can really learn my surroundings,” she said.
The Rizzos, who have been married since 2018, try to incorporate a run — “no matter how long it is” — into their annual offseason trip.
Join EMILY RIZZO, @ARizzo44's wife, as she leads the 27 runners of #TEAMRIZZO across the finish line of the @nycmarathon. Emily is taking on the challenge of running her first marathon to support children and families battling cancer. Support Emily Here: https://t.co/dFRFJmw5kd pic.twitter.com/GuPg4Jdg4i
— A. Rizzo Foundation (@RizzoFoundation) October 4, 2023
“Just seeing a new place on foot is a completely different experience,” Emily said.
“That was always one of my favorite things ever to do, just get out there and run, cause I feel like you really submerge yourself in a culture, a city or a town, and see things you wouldn’t have seen just driving around.”
Now that Emily is focused on training for a marathon, she is following her own plan because the Rizzos’ is not too rigid.
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“There’s really no set schedule of when I train,” Emily said. “Sometimes that’s waking up early and getting it done, sometimes that’s before night games, sometimes it’s at night after a day game.”
According to Emily, her body has benefited from her spontaneity.
“It’s not always used to me waking up and then running, or it’s not used to me having the whole day and then running. It’s really been trial and error and kind of learning your body,” she said.
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When the marathon day arrives, Emily will have Anthony Rizzo’s backing, as he is still amazed by his wife’s achievements.
“Just to see her, day in and day out, fight to do the training because, with our schedule and traveling, and we’re in one city and then the next city, Emily making the time to get in [the training] pretty much no matter what,” Rizzo told The Post. “It’s really impressive.”
Emily has also had the good fortune to ask friends for assistance on marathons. One such acquaintance is Samantha Bracksieck, who completed the New York City marathon in 2022 and is married to Aaron Judge, Rizzo’s Yankees teammate.
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“I have gone to her throughout this entire process and asked her a gazillion questions about what the day [of] looks like, what I should be wearing, what headphones, what her training looks like,” Emily said. “We’ve ran together as well, and she’s really been a support system for me and given me a lot of good experience advice.”
The most important lesson Emily has taken away from this experience is to always underestimate your own inner strength.
“A lot of times you wake up and you’re tired, and you’re like, ‘I just really don’t know if I have it in me today. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get this done.’ And even if you start your first mile and you’re like, ‘I really don’t know if this is going to happen today,’ but it does… your body and you can do so much more than you think you can do,” she said.
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Anthony Rizzo’s current assignment seems to be figuring out Emily’s post-marathon plans.
“Hopefully on race day I’ll just help with some good signs and a good party afterward,” he said.
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