Q: When did you first join R4R and how did you learn about us?
A: Many years ago, a couple of friends and I were looking for fun events and stumbled on Winterfest, a beer and wine tasting event. Once there, we learned it benefited a non-profit called Runnin’ for Rhett. Cool, but still not really any idea of what that group was. It was after the second year attending Winterfest that I learned more about Runnin’ for Rhett and decided to join. As far as I can reconstruct from past emails (apparently, I never delete emails), it was probably in 2012, possibly early 2013, when I joined.
Q: Grandparents’ Day is this month. As a grandparent to a sweet little one, why is staying active important to you?
A: My grandson is two and always on the go! Staying active is not only about being able to do activities with him like kicking the soccer ball, shooting the basketball, and throwing the football – he’s really into anything with a ball. It’s also chasing him as he’s running from daycare towards traffic, lying on the floor to see if a toy car is indeed under the cabinet, and hoisting him into shopping carts. Staying active is important so that I can experience all aspects of his life. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines. I want to be alongside him. It’s also important that he has a role model demonstrating how important it is to keep moving.
Q: What has been your most unusual or interesting job?
A: One summer in college, I worked at a salmon cannery in Naknek, Alaska. I was on the “slime line.” Picture me dressed like the “Gorton’s Fisherman.” As a “slimer,” my job was to pull salmon off a conveyor belt to make sure all of the fins were off and the guts were out. If they weren’t, I cut off the fins and scraped out the guts and then put the salmon back on the conveyor belt to move on to the canning process. I loved salmon before going, and to this day, it’s one of my favorite foods. But in case you are wondering, I do not eat canned salmon. If we’re out and about together, ask me about Anne of Green Gables.
Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
A: There are so many things. One little-known fact is that I threw up in the White House. It was in the Red Room. The Secret Service has barf bags in a file cabinet if you need one. Well, they did in the 80’s. Ha!
Q: What has been your proudest moment since being a part of the R4R family?
A: Gosh. This is a thinker. In 2013, I ran a leg of the CIM relay. You could have a four-person relay then. It’s still the longest continuous distance I’ve run. It was a clear day but in the low 20s, which was a challenge, and also stopped me from doing intervals so that I could just get my legs over with. But I’m proudest not of the races or distances traveled. I’m proudest to be part of a group of people for whom I think “moving into life” means more than physically keeping moving. We are a community. As we physically “move” together, we talk about everyday life. Marriages, divorces, births, deaths, health struggles, kids, travel, jobs, job changes, retirement, and the list goes on. My proudest moment is to be part of a group where I’m accepted where I am in life, and where I can join any meetup and jump right into conversation feeling supported and like we’ve known each other forever.
Q: If you were a vegetable, what would you be and why?
A: I’d be a sweet potato. Complex, the true worth is a bit hidden, but when discovered, it is useful for a wide variety of situations.
Q: How would you describe your Runnin’ for Rhett experience to a child?
A: It’s like being at recess and having fun with your friends.
