My Other Life: The Perils of Pauliina

Nail tech and instructor Pauliina Laramee never shrinks from a challenge—or an opportunity to help those in need. Laramee, owner of the Institute of Nail Sculpturing in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., ushered in the millennium in New Zealand by completing her seventh marathon in about five hours. It’s not that she loves running so much, she says, it’s the friendships she’s made and the good she can do for others that keeps her hitting the pavement. Laramee raised almost $9,000 for pediatric cancer research in New Zealand as part of a team that raised over $400,000.

“Many of my former students come through with donations. Their support was wonderful,” she says. Her racing endeavors have taken her across the country and around the globe. She’s traveled to Mexico City and Stockholm and, in 2003, she plans to tackle Antarctica. This bold adventure-seeker is also trained in wilderness rescue. An 11-year member of the New York Guard, she holds the distinction of being the first female instructor for this volunteer search and rescue operation.