In partnership with our friends at HOKA, we’ve been sharing stories and inspiration from members of the Strides community. (You can read previous features here).
This week, we’re introducing you to our friends and longtime Strides supporters: Bridget, Maryanne, and Steph. This family of runners has been part of Strides since the launch of our run club!
Bridget was the first runner in her family and then she inspired her mother Maryanne and daughter Steph to lace up and run, too. Together, they have logged many miles and finished many races with no plans of slowing down. Here's a preview of our conversation with them!
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Takia: How did everyone get into running?
Bridget: I started running to improve my health and help with stress. I began to run by doing the Couch to 5K program.
Maryanne: I started running to ease the stress and grief of losing a loved one. My daughter, Bridget, got me into running, and I also started with the Couch to 5K program.
Steph: I started running with my mom and grandmother for fun. The first official race I trained for was the 9/11 Heroes 5K that I ran with my dad.
Takia: What would you say to other grandmothers who want to start running but may be nervous about getting started?
Maryanne: I have had people my age ask how I could run at this age (65). I tell them age is only a number, and I have some aches and pains but no more than normal. And running makes me feel young…haha.
Takia: What would you say to other teenagers who want to start running (or don’t think they can run)?
Steph: As a teenager (17), running helps relieve stress from school. It’s time you give yourself to decompress. To other teenagers who want to start running, I would say that running is all about taking care of yourself. Don’t focus too much on your speed either because the finish line is not going anywhere!
Takia: Tell us more about your running journey?
Bridget: I started with a 5K in May 2015. The pandemic has been rough for me and my running but I’m slowly getting back. I’ve been focused on taking it day by day. Looking ahead: I would really love to have my Saturday long runs back and complete the Philadelphia Marathon one more time.
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If you’re looking for inspiration from a family of runners that span across three generations, read their full interview to learn more about how they all got into running and why it’s important to support your family members on their running and fitness journey.
