When we heard that a 21-year-old was running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in full firefighting gear, we had to ask her why. Lindsay Santagato lost her brother to liver failure and to raise awareness and funds she is taking on the incredible feat of running the entire 42 km marathon in her full gear. She's also attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the first woman to run a marathon in full firefighting gear. We asked Lindsay to share how she's going to pull this off. Canadian Living:  Why did you decide to run the marathon in full fire fighting gear? LS: I decided to run the full marathon in gear because I wanted to put my love of firefighting and running together for a greater challenge to raise money. This is why I was so keen to enter the waterfront marathon through Scotiabank’s charity challenge – it gives Canadians the opportunity to run for a cause and raise money for something close to their hearts. It really allowed me to gain exposure for my experience and bring more attention The Canadian Liver Foundation. CL: Can you share your brother’s experience and why this run means so much to you? LS: Ryan was in the hospital for a month, challenged by and losing his fight to acute liver failure. This run means a lot to me because when I was living at the hospital (I would sleep in the ICU waiting room) and to deal with the stress I would run up and down the stairs in the hospital. I then began running outside further and further.The run is more of a personal challenge for me, the charity is the main focus. Whether I finish this race or don't doesn’t change the fact that even after this race I will continue to try and raise awareness and funds for the liver foundation. CL:  What do you want people to know about liver disease? LS: My main focus is to raise awareness and spark more discussion about the risks of taking acetaminophen in combination with cold medicine containing additional  acetaminophen or alcohol. There are many stories on the web of families losing their loved ones, especially young people, who are not aware of the dangers in these combinations. CL: How much money do you think you’ll fundraise/how much have you fundraised so far? LS: With the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge my goal is to raise as much money as possible. However, I will continue to fundraise for The Canadian Liver Foundation even after this race complete. I am just under $1000 right now. CL: Can you tell us a bit about the gear you’ll be wearing during the run? LS: I will be wearing full bunker gear (approx. 40 lbs) jacket, pants, shoes, helmet, mask and SCBA (oxygen tank). The suit that I am running in is very heavy and uncomfortable. The bottom edge of the SCBA and the straps around my shoulders bounce so after my runs my shoulder and lower back are raw and red and scab over. The SCBA suit is like a sauna. One thing that I'm nervous about is the heat. It is very uncomfortable and by the time I hit 10K I am drenched and swimming in the suit. CL: Do you have any techniques in mind to help you run in such heavy/hot gear? What’s your previous marathon-ing experience? LS: No techniques for running in it! Just trusting my training right now! I will be running it slow, keeping my pace and just taking in the experience! I have run two marathons before (both in Toronto- the Goodlife Marathon and the Scotiabank marathon), a lot of half marathons and 30 km races as well. I am tapering right now (cutting down my training so my body is ready for race day). So, I am taking in the next two weeks of easy runs before the extreme pain ahead! Check out Lindsay's homepage for ways to contribute and donate to the cause. And if you're looking to start running yourself, check out our ultimate running guide for starting from scratch or training for a full marathon!