Celebrate powerful run stories this International Women's Day

From newbie to unstoppable

Rahema Mamodo, a Run Happy Team member from the U.K., took up the sport in her late 30s to inspire her three girls. She primarily runs on roads with an occasional trail run and enjoys taking part in parkrun weekly as a runner and volunteer.  “My children motivate me to run, I want them to see that runners come in all shapes, color, and sizes.”

Proud movement moments: “There are several memorable moments in my running journey. One of the most significant was completing my graduation 5k run non-stop at a local parkrun after starting Couch to 5k with zero previous running experience in just 7 weeks. Another is my most recent achievement of completing the London marathon, only my second marathon, and smashing my personal best by 30 minutes. These experiences have given me more self-belief and a feeling of being unstoppable. To push myself even further, I have signed up for my first ultra-marathon of 50km of trail running in 2023.

Participating in major races is important to me as I want to see more people of different shapes and sizes on race start lines. I want to inspire others like me and that’s why I put myself out there. Becoming a run leader early on in my journey is also a huge milestone for me. It gave me the chance to encourage and inspire others to move and run. A run leader provides a safe and enjoyable running experience for adults of any ability. This covers risk assessment, warm ups, cool downs and leading fun running sessions for mixed ability runners. One of the main reasons for qualifying as a run leader was to help my friends achieve their goals by giving them the right advice. Supporting each other makes us a stronger force and I feel immensely proud to kick start others onto their own running journeys.”

Follow Rahema on Instagram, Facebook, and on her blog.

Just keep stepping

Shana Goodridge is a runner, wife, mother, and IT professional who resides in Canada and loves the outdoors and building community. She founded Pegcity Steppers, a group which inspires new runners and walkers to jump start a new lifestyle and keep moving.

Proud movement moments: “I used to go walking in my neighborhood and see runners along the way, and I was always impressed by their grace as they glided through each stride. I was always intrigued but never considered myself a runner because I thought you had to be at a certain fitness level or physique to be considered one. However, my friends convinced me to do a 5K fun run with them and that experience changed my view on running completely. It was challenging, but I was happy I did it because after I crossed the finish line, it changed my outlook on running. From that experience, I realized that there were people of various fitness levels at the start line, and it was not just about what place you crossed the finish line, but more about the mental and physical journey as you challenge yourself to do something you never thought you could do.

Since then, I've run several distances such as 5 km, 10 km, half marathon, and I am currently training to run my first marathon in 2023. Each time I cross the finish line, I get a sense of accomplishment and pride because I see how far I’ve come from feeling intimidated to feeling empowered. On this journey, I have not only improved personally but have shared this with other like-minded individuals. This journey has inspired me to start a running/walking group called Pegcity Steppers, to help inspire and motivate people who feel like I used to feel —intimidated — to get started on their journey. When I see how much the group has grown over the past few years, it makes me feel very proud.”

Follow Shana on Instagram and at pegcitysteppers.ca and keepitmovingwithshana.com.

Changing the game

Vanessa C. Peralta-Mitchell is a run coach , host of The Female Coach L.E.A.D. (Leveraging-Educating-Amplifying-Diversity), and creator of the Game Changers program, of which Brooks is a proud sponsor. As an advocate for women of color  in the running space, she’s redefining the run industry and bringing in a wave of much needed change to run leadership.

Proud movement moments: “My greatest running achievement by far has been creating the Game Changers program, which empowers women of color to make the leap from runner to certified run coach. But if you looked back 18 years, you would have never thought the running newbie before you who was running laps in her baggy sweats, old kicks, and oversized hoodie would one day be a run coach, business owner, and industry disruptor. Even six years ago, you would have never thought the mom of three who quietly and unnoticeably sat in that run coach certification room would one day be a leader, an amplifier, and a force for propelling change.

But somewhere along this run journey, I found my voice and started connecting the dots of how being a voice for my Spanish-speaking mom enabled me to amplify the voices of others. I realized that the voices unheard in the room resonated with me to my core, and I no longer wanted us to wait for our turn to be heard. So, when our data shows that 89.5% of our Game Changers have gained confidence as a run coach and half of our coaches have started or expanded run businesses as a result of our program, I know we are growing the running space with strong, confident women of color leaders who are making their mark, growing the sport, and impacting the industry with a force that is changing the game.”   

Follow Vanessa on Instagram and at vcpm.com/game-changers.

The next generation

Gisella is a young runner from a small town in the Midwest United States. She has always enjoyed running and racing with all her friends and family. She participates in Marathon Kids — a national youth running program sponsored by Brooks — and loves the challenge of a good run.

Proud move moments: “I have loved running for as long as I can remember. I practice running on hills and flat surfaces, and I always try my hardest and never give up so I can get stronger. I enjoy racing my mom and dad to become a better runner. I entered my first track meet when I was eight years old. I felt confident about the races but also scared. I ran the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 400-meter dash and won all three of them. I was very proud of myself because I gave it my all, even when the races were difficult. I am excited to continue running and competing in more races!”