Walking Dead 's Lauren Ridloff Hopes to Inspire Other Deaf Runners to Train for a Marathon

Gavin Doremus, Brooks Running PS347 students cheer on actress Lauren Ridloff before her big race, with Run Happy in ASL shirts and signs designed by deaf artist Jena Floyd.

Like many of the 50,000 runners lacing up for Sunday's New York City Marathon, Walking Dead's Lauren Ridloff says she's emotional — but trained and ready.

The Brooklyn local, 44, has spent months running in the city's busy parks and streets, often sharing the road with cyclists and runners who asked her to move out of the way, unbeknownst to her. "I know a lot of cyclists assume that I can hear them approaching or coming up behind me, and I don't," she tells PEOPLE.

Ridloff hopes her story will help cyclists and runners understand they may be encountering someone with different abilities and circumstances.

"I really just want to emphasize to cyclists to first stay in their lane and don't just yell, 'On the right, on the left,' " the Eternals star shares. "I'm not being rude. I'm not ignoring them. I just don't hear them. I really want cyclists to just be aware, not to assume that a person can hear them coming up behind them."

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The mother of two has partnered with Brooks and is fundraising to run her 26.2 miles for students at PS347, a school in New York for the deaf. The running company has even offered to match up to $25,000 to support Ridloff's efforts in hopes of helping future deaf runners.

"I feel very grateful to have a platform like this because I am a deaf runner and I know that there are so many deaf runners out there," Ridloff says. "What I want to see is more deaf athletes being included in this space. I want to show them that everyone, whether you're deaf or hearing, that deaf people belong to this space and there's enough room in the world for that space."

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Ridloff says she plans to continue running after the marathon, and after a rest.

"I definitely will do a half [marathon] after this one," Ridloff shares with a smile. "I run because it gives me that sense of being centered and inner peace when things are so wild. I look forward to the resting part. I'm just going to do some light walks and let my muscles [and] my body heal. I'm looking forward to actually just maintaining my running every day after that."