Co-Hosts Verna NezBegay Volker and Stefanie Flippin, On Verna's First 100-Mile Finish

Stefanie and Verna dive into all that went into Verna reaching her 100-mile goal, a process that's been years in the making, as well as how the race went down. Several years ago, Verna attempted this distance and over 90 miles before having to end her bid. She vowed then that she had no interest in going after 100 miles ever again. But then Verna changed her mind. Verna had the opportunity to run the Redwoods 100-mile Challenge, put on by Milestone Events, and she took it. This sounded like just the set-up that would facilitate her being able to accomplish this tremendous goal. She was right. Also key to Verna's success was teaming up with Sky Tulley, who was also going after his first 100-mile finish: the two ran most of their miles together. Though they'd never met before, both Verna and Sky are Navajo and grew up on the reservation. Verna talks about how this shared bond helped get them through the tough miles. She also shares some of the funnier times, experiencing hallucinations and how laughter helped get them through to the end. Stefanie brings her perspective as a friend, as well as a professional racer who specializes in the 100-mile distance and coach who works with athletes at all levels of the sport. She also shares some of her own experiences in the outdoors, connected to her Japanese-Chinese heritage.  Both Stefanie and Verna also get into why representation matters and the ways in which this 100-mile event allowed Verna to show up as her full self and support her goals. Find EARTHMOVERS on Instagram: @EARTHMOVERSpodcast Our Season 1 Presenting Sponsor Thank you to our presenting sponsor ALTRA. Find them at ALTRArunning.comMentioned in this Episode Daniel Böcker, Verna's coach, Instagram: @athletewithoutmeatMilestone Events: @officialmilestoneeventsEARTHMOVERS HostsVerna NezBegay Volker: Runner, mother, community builder, public speaker, and racial equity activist from the Navajo Nation, Volker is the founder of Native Women Run, an organization that began as a virtual community and is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. @hozhorunner4Alison Mariella Désir: Runner, mountain climber, mother, community builder, and racial equity activist, Désir is the author of the groundbreaking book Running While Black and the host of the award winning PBS TV show Out and Back with Alison Mariella Désir. @alisonmdesirStefanie Flippin: Professional ultra trail runner, running coach, podcaster, writer, racial equity activist, and a foot and ankle surgeon, Flippin is the 2021 USATF 100-mile road champion and course record holder, and she’s the 6th fastest all-time American woman at the 100-mile distance. @stefanieannflippin

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.