Episodes

  • Podcast Spotlight: Starting Line 1928: Cheryl Toussaint

    Podcast Spotlight: Starting Line 1928: Cheryl Toussaint
    Nov 26 2024
    This week Women's Running Stories is taking a break and bringing you an episode of Starting Line 1928. This is outstanding podcast features in-depth interviews with women running pioneers. The episode I chose features Cheryl Toussaint, the meet director of the Colgate Women’s Games and an Olympic silver medalist. Toussaint grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and began running with the Atoms Track Club at age 13. There, Coach Fred Thompson nurtured her athletic talent—and encouraged her academically. Cheryl earned an academic scholarship to New York University and kept training with the Atoms, eventually making the Olympics in 1972; she competed in Munich in the 800 meters and 4x400 relay, where she helped the team make the final—and eventually, win silver—despite losing a shoe. She also began assisting Thompson with his other venture, the Colgate Women’s Games, and took over as meet director when he retired in 2014. It’s the longest running track and field series for girls and young women in the United States, open to all young women from elementary school through college and beyond, and has launched the careers of many other Olympians and successful women in other fields. Starting Line 1928 is an oral history project dedicated to preserving the stories of women pioneers in distance running. The project spans the 20th century, chronicling the individuals who paved the way for a post-Title IX world. Guests have included Olympians, steeplechase pioneers, ultrarunning champions, coaches, and those who fought hard for women to have new opportunities in the sport. Starting Line 1928 was founded in 2020 by Cindy Kuzma, Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka, Freddi Carlip, and Johanna Gretschel and is supported by the Theodore Corbitt Institute for Running History Research. Learn More about Starting Line 1928 StartingLine1928.com Instagram @startingline1928 Twitter @startline1928 Email: startingline1928@gmail.com Learn More about the Colgate Women's Games Website: colgatewomensgames.com Listen to the Live Episode featuring the Native Women Run team and NWR Founder Verna Volker womensrunningstories.com/live-event-native-women-run-team-at-the-2024-chicago-marathon-expo
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • Grace Norman: Her Gold Medal Return Paralympic Journey

    Grace Norman: Her Gold Medal Return Paralympic Journey
    Nov 19 2024
    Grace Norman is a four-time paralympic medalist, once in track and field and three times in the sport of paratriathlon. She is also, as of October 2024, a five-time world Paratriathlon champion. This episode focuses on Norman's Paralympic journey which spans Rio, Tokyo, and this year's 2024 Paralympics in Paris. For over a decade now, Norman's primary focus has been Paratriathlon, but before that, she was a competitive runner, and running is at the foundation of Grace's athletic life: she ran track and cross country in high school and college, racing able-bodied competitors. Grace was born with Congenital Constriction Band Syndrome, which resulted in the amputation of her left leg below the knee and her right big toe when she was young. Norman runs and races with a prosthetic. Norman started racing Paratriathlon in her teens, and made her Paralympic debut in Rio, the same year Paratriathlon debuted at the Games. There, Norman surprised everyone, herself included, by winning gold. Since then, Paratriathlon has continued to grow and the competition has intensified, and in turn, Norman has continued to develop as a world-class competitor. Starting with those Rio games when Norman was just graduating high school and heading into college through her collegiate years, which led to Tokyo, until now as a full-time professional athlete. Over the past several years, Norman has been the athlete to beat in Paratriathlon, but it did take some time for that consistency to set in. She's gone through the highs of being the young, talented newcomer in Rio, to a time of learning and growth heading into the Tokyo Paralympics, where she and her coach had very high confidence that a repeat gold medal performance was within her abilities. And it probably was; Norman was certainly prepared to give her all in Tokyo. What happened in Tokyo inspired Norman to double down on her preparation for Paris. In this story, Norman shares the whole journey, including the unwavering determination and dedication she carried all the way through the finish line at this past summer's 2024 Paralympic Games. Keep Up with Grace Norman Instagram: @gracenormantri Support Our Supporters Lagoon Pillows: lagoonsleep.com/WRS Use the discount code WRS to receive $25 off any pillow! Through Dec. 2, 2024 YMR Track Club: ymrtrackclub.com Use the discount code WRS20 for 20% off your purchase To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh Coma-Media, via Pixabay RomanBelov, via Pixabay SergePavkinMusic, via Pixabay Grand Project, via Pixabay Rockot, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project Instagram: @over50sub20_5k_project WRS Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
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    39 mins
  • Race Report: Emily Venters + 2024 USATF 5k National Championships

    Race Report: Emily Venters + 2024 USATF 5k National Championships
    Nov 13 2024
    Professional runner for Nike Emily Venters shares how it all went down at the 2024 USATF 5k National Championships, held Nov. 2 in New York City, as part of the New York City Marathon weekend of events. Venters shares how she has overcome mental and emotional challenges to return to a state of health, and deliver an outstanding performance at this strongly contested race. In NYC, Venters earned her first podium spot as a professional runner at a national championship event. Venters's recent challenges come on the heels of a bumpy but ultimately successful college career; her collegiate results were so outstanding in fact that she signed her pro contract upon graduation last year, in 2023. But the pro life came with its share of anxieties and then depression. Having come out the other side of a dark time, Venters was ready to give her all come race day. In this episode, Venters gets into the whole journey, including some exciting new plans. This episode is part of the WRS Race Report series. Each episode features a top 10 performer sharing her experience at one of the USATF Road Circuit series of races. And because a race is never just about what happens on race day, you will get to know a little bit more about each one of the runners featured and how this race figures into their larger running story. The USATF Running Circuit championship series of races happen throughout the US all year long. Each race serves as a national championship for the distance or the type of race being run. The 5k National Championships was last race of the 2024 series. WRS will be back next year, covering the 2025 series. The action kicks off Jan. 11 in Lubbock, TX, with the USATF Cross Country National Championships. You can catch up on all the Race Reports on our website or on your favorite podcast app. Keep Up with Emily Venters Instagram: @ventersemily Photo Credits Guilherme Guedes Instagram: @guico.guedes Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Support Our Supporters YMR Track Club: ymrtrackclub.com Use the discount code WRS20 for 20% off your purchase Lagoon Pillows: lagoonsleep.com/WRS15 Use the discount code WRS15 for 15% off your first order To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh RomanBelov, via Pixabay Coma-Media, via Pixabay RoyaltyFreeMusic, via Pixabay Grand Project, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Instagram: @over50sub20_5k_project Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/444164966663627 Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
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    30 mins
  • 2024 Post-Election Special, with Host Cherie Louise Turner

    2024 Post-Election Special, with Host Cherie Louise Turner
    Nov 12 2024
    A special episode from WRS host Cherie, in acknowledgement of this deeply challenging time, post-election 2024. This podcast doesn't exist in a vacuum; it is impacted and informed by the world at large. This is a moment to reflect and, for Cherie, a call to action. She shares thoughts on moving forward. Mentioned in This Episode Jinghaun Liu Tervalon's newsletter Wings & Spikes, from Nov 10, 2024: sandychannel.substack.com/p/wings-and-spikes Alison Mariella Désir on Patreon: patreon.com/alisondesir Toni Morrison's "No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear," The Nation, Mar. 23, 2015: thenation.com/article/archive/no-place-self-pity-no-room-fear
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    9 mins
  • Naseemah Palmer: "Running Reminds Me I'm Living"

    Naseemah Palmer: "Running Reminds Me I'm Living"
    Nov 5 2024
    Naseemah Palmer had wanted to try running, but she didn't see it as a place for someone like herself. Until, as she recounts in her story, running found her. On the fateful day of May 4, 2014, a day when Palmer was deep in the depths of undiagnosed post-partum depression, she encountered the Broad Street 10-mile Run, and it changed her life. Today, Palmer is a licensed clinical social worker, running coach, and entrepreneur. She owns and operates the running, wellness, and apparel brand Vivid Belle. How Palmer's life changed, beginning on that May day, is what this story is all about. Palmer's current running focus is coaching Girls on the Run, and one of the athletes she coaches is her daughter. She is training for the upcoming Philadelphia Half Marathon, Nov. 23, 2024, and a big goal is running the Chicago or New York City Marathon in 2025: she's entered in those lotteries once again. Palmer also recently completed the Game Changers program, which certifies women of color as run coaches. Thank you to Kiera Smalls, executive director of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, for connecting me to Palmer. I am grateful. Keep Up with Naseemah Palmer Instagram: @_naseemahp Website: vividbelle.com Mentioned in this episode Running Industry Diversity Coalition: runningdiversity.com Game Changers: vcpm.com/game-changers Support Our Supporters YMR Track Club: ymrtrackclub.com Use the discount code WRS20 for 20% off your purchase To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh Coma-Media, via Pixabay RomanBelov, via Pixabay SergePavkinMusic, via Pixabay RoyaltyFreeMusic, via Pixabay Rockot, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project Instagram: @over50sub20_5k_project WRS Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
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    33 mins
  • Stefanie Flippin: Pro Ultra Runner, Transforming through Difficulties

    Stefanie Flippin: Pro Ultra Runner, Transforming through Difficulties
    Oct 29 2024
    Stefanie Flippin is one of the fastest North American women to race the 100-mile distance. Her trajectory to get to that point is truly astonishing. This episode, however, is focused on more recent occurrences. In addition to her terrific success as an ultra runner, Flippin has experienced significant challenges. Illness, injuries, and grief have come one on top of the other in recent years. Navigating these hardships has put Flippin on a path to reaffirming why she runs and what she values most. She's coming out the other side of this difficult period more aligned with her values, more strongly in touch with her intuition, and with a renewed sense of appreciation for running and racing. This episode is focused on these recent transformative years. In addition to being an elite level racer, Flippin participates in the running community as a coach, podcast co-host, and writer. And, more and more, she is speaking our as an activist and advocate for diversity, especially in trail running. Stefanie Flippin's story on the podcast highlights how running can be an integral part of healing and transformation. Be inspired. Keep Up with Stefanie Flippin Instagram: @stefanieannflippin Website: stefanieflippin.com Writing: stefanieflippin.com/writing Podcasts: stefanieflippin.com/podcasts Making Strides podcast ep. 12: Allyship, Intention and Impact Mentioned in this episode Carolyn Su on WRS: womensrunningstories.com/carolyn-su-her-first-trail-adventures-why-representation-matters Support Our Supporters YMR Track Club: ymrtrackclub.com Use the discount code WRS20 for 20% off your purchase To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh penguinmusic, via Pixabay Coma-Media, via Pixabay RomanBelov, via Pixabay SergePavkinMusic, via Pixabay Lidérc Bell, via Pixabay Rockot, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project Instagram: @over50sub20_5k_project WRS Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
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    50 mins
  • LIVE EVENT: Native Women Run Team at the 2024 Chicago Marathon Expo

    LIVE EVENT: Native Women Run Team at the 2024 Chicago Marathon Expo
    Oct 22 2024
    This is a live recording from Saturday, October 13 at the Chicago Marathon Expo. WRS host Cherie Turner teamed up with Cindy Kuzma of the Starting Line 1928 podcast to co-host a conversation with members of the Native Women Run (NWR) running the 2024 Chicago Marathon—Angel Tadytin, Birdie Wermy, Jessica Louis, and Amber Henderson—along with NWR founder Verna Volker. We heard the running stories of these women: why they run marathons, what inspired them to want to run as part of the NWR team, the importance of representation and community, and what their strategies and goals were for the 2024 Chicago Marathon. The conversation was thoughtful, insightful, and inspiring. Verna Volker is from the Navajo Nation, and she is the founder of NWR. She grew up in the Blanca canyon area of New Mexico, but currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband and four children. She founded NWR in January 2018 due to the lack of representation of native women in the running world; her aim is for NWR to create space for and elevate native women runners. Jessica Louis is a Navajo woman from New Mexico. She is a stay-at-home educator, and the Chicago Marathon marks her second 26.2-mile journey. Amber Henderson is from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe in South Dakota, Henderson is a tenured associate professor of management and interim department chair of Finance, Banking and Financial Services, Accounting and Business Law at Northern State University. The 2024 Chicago Marathon was her debut in the distance. Angel Tadytin is also from the Navajo Nation and works as a school social worker. She is also part of the NWR leadership team. The Chicago Marathon was her third marathon, after Boston and NYC. Birdie Wermy is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma now residing in Oregon. Wermy serves as a behavioral health project manager at the NW Portland Area Indian Health Board. The 2024 Chicago Marathon was her seventh marathon. Starting Line 1928 is an oral history project dedicated to preserving the stories of women pioneers in distance running. Through longform interviews and profiles, the podcast chronicles their fight to break down barriers and achieve equality. It was founded in 2020 by Cindy Kuzma, Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka, Freddi Carlip, and Johanna Gretschel and is supported by the Theodore Corbitt Institute for Running History Research. How to Keep Up with Native Women Run Instagram: @native_women_run Website: nativewomenrunning.com How to Keep Up with Verna Volker Instagram: @hozhorunner4 How to Keep Up with Amber Henderson Instagram: @amber_amh How to Keep Up with Birdie Wermy Instagram: @redrace_oregon How to Keep Up with Jessica Louis Instagram: @_tso.lo_ How to Keep Up with Angel Tadytin Instagram: @angels_ventures How to Keep Up with Cindy Kuzma Instagram: @cindykuzma Ways to Connect with Starting Line 1928 Instagram: @startingline1928 Twitter: @startline1928 Website: startingline1928.com Support Our Supporters This episode is supported by Lagoon, maker of exceptional pillows: lagoonsleep.com. Use the code WRS15 for 15% off your first Lagoon order. Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
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    47 mins
  • Vicki Hunter: A Lifelong Call to Run

    Vicki Hunter: A Lifelong Call to Run
    Oct 15 2024
    Running has been a steady presence in Vicki Hunter's life since she was an early teen. Running began as a way to find calm through the challenges of youth, and developed into an arena of competitive challenge, on the roads and then the trails. Among her many accomplishments as a competitive runner, Hunter qualified for the 1988 Olympic Trials Marathon. Running also became integral to Hunter's healing journey after a horrific accident, which happened when she was pregnant with her first child. Now 63, Hunter continues to be fueled by competitive running, but her relationship to that pursuit has changed over time. Running pain free is a companion central focus, along with running fast. Hunter tells her whole story on the podcast: the beautiful moments and terrific difficulties, the growth and the challenges. Her thoughtfulness and wisdom shine through, looking back over her decades in the sport. Hunter also shares her running story embedded in her recently released memoir: Running and Returning: Seeking Balance in an Imperfect World. Keep Up with Vicki Hunter Instagram: @thevickihunter Website: vforcepro.com Link to Hunter's book, Running and Returning: vforcepro.com/books Listen to Unexpected Curves, Hosted by Marielle Hall Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unexpected-curves/id1750120522 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3sx2j12qArDW5uJ9NoO9ks Support Our Supporters Lagoon Pillows: lagoonsleep.com/WRS15 Use the discount code WRS15 for 15% off your first order To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh penguinmusic, via Pixabay Coma-Media, via Pixabay RomanBelov, via Pixabay RoyaltyFreeMusic, via Pixabay SergePavkinMusic, via Pixabay Lidérc Bell, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project Instagram: @over50sub20_5k_project WRS Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
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    54 mins