Ann-Michele Dragsbaek will toe the line in Hopkinton for her 16th Boston Marathon next month.

Leading up to the April 18 Boston Marathon, the Independent will profile local charity runners. This issue we highlight Ann-Michele Dragsbaek, who is running to raise funds for Project Just Because.

Dragsbaek will be competing in her 16th Boston Marathon this spring. She started running after having her first child in 1997 but did not run a marathon until after her fourth child in 2006.

“Running became my passion,” she stated. “I felt I was setting a good example to my children and teaching them they could do anything they set their mind to.”

Dragsbaek, whose fundraising page can be found at gofundme.com/f/126th-boston-marathon-charity-run-for-pjb, owned a hair salon in town for 26 years. She and her husband, Torin, still live in town, where they raised their four children. They also spend time at their second home in York Beach, Maine, enjoying time with family and their dog, Kobe.