Runners of NYC Podcast

“What I love about being out here and doing this is that I didn’t think it was accessible. I didn’t think I was going to run sub-3. Why would I think that? That’s crazy. But what I’ve been able to do is inspire people, which I wasn’t trying to do but I feel good about that. I just want us to all feel – especially Black American women – that we can do that. I started because I wanted to train and get faster. There’s nothing stopping anyone from doing that.” My guest for this episode is Erica Stanley Dottin, who is a mother of two, a wife and runs with Black Roses NYC. She is a producer and also works as the Tracksmith New York City Community Manager. At 48 years old, she just ran 2:52:05 for a huge personal best at the Berlin Marathon. The time makes her the 25th Black American woman to break three hours in the marathon since 1973. It’s a list that started being tracked by Ted Corbitt and is now kept by his son, Gary. We discuss her running career from her sprinting days at Georgetown to what called her to the marathon. What started off as a fun hobby for herself in the mid-2000s, she eventually found the Black Roses and coach Knox Robinson in New York City which elevated her training. We talk about how she managed to do it all and the inspiration she serves to other women in her community. You can follow Erica on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/estanleydott/ This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. Host Chris Chavez looks to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com Music for the show is by Future Generations. Podcast artwork by Kyle Klosinski.

“It’s refreshing because I spent quite a long time in my career thinking about being in the top 1%. Being able to pull back and realize that there is this joy and enjoyment that people have to go out…They may not have a reason to get up other than to be with some other people or have time for themselves in the chaotic space that is New York. It was nice to engage with running in a different way. That’s why it brings me a refreshment and a perspective that there are so many different stories and reasons why people are doing this and it doesn’t always have to be about making it to the very upper echelon.” For this episode, we welcome Rebeka Stowe. She is a hell of an athlete and has qualified for the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships seven times in her career, including the 2012 Olympic Trials in the steeplechase. She is a former Big 12 Conference champion while attending Kansas. She trained professionally for some time with the New Jersey-New York Track Club under legendary coach Frank Gagliano. He is just one of the handful of great coaches that she has surrounded herself with throughout her career, which has played a major role in her own coaching of all levels including high school. She's someone who has led so many people through their own running ups and downs because she cares about the person before the performance and you''ll learn why. She leads runs on Monday evenings out of As Is NYC in Hells Kitchen so if you're feeling inspired after she shares her story, join her for a run out of there. Follow Rebeka on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebekastowe/ This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Zac Price and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com Music for the show is by Future Generations. Podcast artwork by Kyle Klosinski.

"Going back to how welcoming Dao-Yi Chow, Eugene Tong and Ryo Yamamoto are. That sets the tone for everybody else. That's a huge reason why Paolo and I are as welcoming as we are. We've learned from them. We want to pay it forward. We do realize that yes, you can feel alone in a big group of people and we just want people to know that we're not going to leave you behind. That's something we try to drive on a weekly basis and try to emphasize that we are a club for the purpose of community. The PRs will come. It's crazy too that we're not totally after PRs – sometimes we are – but they just come because we're having fun while running. Sometimes you don't realize you're improving while you're improving." Our guests for this new episode are Paolo Alberca and Kim Yee. They are the captains of Old Man Run Club. Paolo Alberca is an account manager for a medical supplier. Kim works in the technology department within the Creative Artists Agency. In this episode, you'll get to know them, how they got into running and eventually caught the marathon big that now has them leading so many others on their respective marathon journeys. What started as a Saturday morning run crew has blown up into one of the biggest running clubs in New York City. They're currently in the middle of their summer training block called Oasis, which is a training and long run series aimed at getting people ready for the fall marathons. If you want the original story of how this club started by Ryo Yamamoto, Dao-Yi Chow and Eugene Tong, you can go back and listen to episode 15.  It's one of my favorite episodes, especially seeing the trajectory of this club's footprint on the scene. We recorded this at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, which is where we recorded another past episode. It's a little loud in the background but the substance of the conversation is quality. This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Zac Price and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC

“In 2006, I started running for a friend who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is a rare blood cancer. She had been diagnosed years before but she had always seemed fine so I never really thought about it. When I saw her go through a stem cell transplant, where they basically beat your body down, strip you of your immune system, do the stem cell transplant and build you back up again. It’s a brutal process. I decided I wanted to do something just to support her. Then over the years, it just started to ramp up. I kept meeting more people involved with the organization and more people with the disease. As the events grew and got bigger with more attention, it just got to a point where I was running for this thing that was a whole lot bigger than I was.” Eric Gelber is an executive vice president at CBRE. He is a father. He is a husband. For some of our focus, he is also quite an endurance athlete. Back in 2016, he ran 200 miles in Central Park to honor his friend Anita and raise money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. As Anita bravely faced a cancer diagnosis, he took to running to raise money to aid in research, awareness and treatment. He ran marathons and ultra marathons but his biggest feat was running about 33 times around Central Park's outer six-mile loop. It didn't come easy. He failed at it twice but never gave up.  In this episode, you'll learn more about his work, how he juggles that work, run, life balance, overcoming failure and now raising more than 1.7 million dollars to fight multiple myeloma. You can watch a documentary about that 200 mile run on Amazon Prime, if you search 200 miles. It’s a great film. On Sept. 17, he will return to Central Park but not to run. He’s rowing 200 miles while at at Engineer’s Gate. If you’re in the area, come out to row alongside him, cheer him on and learn more about his cause.  Follow Eric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justamiletogo/ Check out his fundraising efforts for his 200-mile row in Central Park: https://give.themmrf.org/fundraiser/3270439 Watch 200 Miles on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/200-Miles-Eric-Gelber/dp/B081S8P7QH This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Zac Price and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC

“Chinatown Runners is not a crew and it's not based in any specific locality. It's not a crew. It's a movement. I wanted it to feel bigger than just this one group that really sort of permeated throughout the entire running community worldwide. When you think about it, there are Asian-American Pacific Islander-centric communities all over the world outside of just America and Canada....Every neighborhood and borough has a dozen or so specialized running crews and groups, which is amazing and I don't want to try to eat anybody's lunch, but the idea is for it to feel really inclusive. And that's kind of the reason why I fight hard to say that it's not a running crew, but it's a movement...All you have to do to tag in is start or end a run in a Chinatown or an Asian-American Pacific Islander neighborhood or business even. Throw up the hashtag and show some love to a community that can really use it right now.” Victoria Lo is a designer and senior creative with years of experience in New York City's running community. Most recently, she started Chinatown Runners as a way of bringing support, awareness and love to protect and preserve the Chinatowns and AAPI-centric neighborhoods in cities across the world. She underscores that this is not a performance team, crew or club but a movement. As noted on their website: "We run to fill in the gaps that global tourism can’t fill during a worldwide pandemic. We run to keep the streets safer by watching out for the most vulnerable. We run to celebrate the diverse cultural narratives that make our country wonderful." In this episode, you'll hear more about what drove her to take action and start this group as anti-Asian hate crimes and violence is on the rise. Follow Victoria on Instagram:@omgvics More on Chinatown Runners: https://www.chinatownrunners.com/ | Instagram Resources: The AAPI Community Fund; Stop AAPI Hate; Save Our Chinatowns;  More here Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 21 at 10 a.m. at Union Square Park. Follow @runningtoprotest for more information. This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Episode photo by @crossinguard_ninja.

“Yeah, it would be a bummer if there’s no Olympic Games because I feel like it would be a very political Games. But at the same time, I’m in fencing. I know that people forget the day after the Games are done that I go back to being a regular person. A million people could kneel at the Games and I don’t think you’d see a million people do it. You’re going to see a few special ones. That special one is important. But the idea that people felt comfortable to do that is so powerful for all the communities and all people. For people to be able to come and say what they want to say without worrying about the repercussions of losing monetary value or their families being hurt or being kicked out of the things that they want to do. That’s important. That’s the one thing I hope maintains and stays after all these movements.” Race Imboden is a bronze medalist from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in fencing. So you're probably wondering what's a fencer doing on a running podcast? In addition to his success in sport, Race made headlines as one of the top American athletes who has made a political statement and demonstration at a global championship. At the 2019 Pan American Games, he won a gold medal and took a knee during the national anthem. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee placed him on a 12-month probation as a result of his actions. Imboden accepted the sanction but has never been silenced in his message against racism, gun violence, racial inequality and police brutality. Through his work with Everytown, an anti-gun violence organization, he's looking to educate people and see change across the country. You'll hear why this means so much to him in our conversation but also he will be a featured speaker at the next Running to Protest event in New York City.  Mark your calendars for Sunday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. at Washington Square Park. Follow @runningtoprotest for more information. Follow Race Imboden on Instagram: @race_imboden This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify! MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“I come from the South Bronx. I had to leave the Bronx to have access to these things. I had to go downtown to take arts classes, writing, theater and poetry classes. What did I do it? I brought all that shit back Uptown so that everyone had access to that and it wasn’t just me. I felt horrible to be in these spaces that I knew would never accept me if I was with my homies from the block. They would never allow me. It was important for me to be the conduit or in the middle and maneuver through these spaces to see what I can do so I could bring it back." – Patty “There’s a lot of dope things in the hood. We’re trying to empower people to celebrate the dope things. It’s not always about getting away and getting other resources from outside of the hood. That’s super important but it’s also about celebrating the things that are dope in the hood, why we should stay in the hood and foster it...While you’re going out and getting resources from other places and seeing the world, you’re also celebrating your people and the world that you’re in while uplifting those narratives that are from the block." – Reph This episode has no shortage of hype and energy as we’re joined by Amilcar Alfaro-Martell (Reph) and Patricia Marte (Patty Dukes), who started Circa '95. They’re a hip hop music collective with Afro-Latino roots that actually started off as a podcast back in the day. Their work looks to mesh the best of music, art, culture and athletics through running. They’ve performed at Carnegie Hall, SXSW and even at the Smithsonian Museum. Reph and Patty grew up in Washington Heights and the Bronx and when they’re not hosting their own runs they can be found running with We Run Uptown. (If you want the story behind that group’s origins check out one of our earliest episodes with Hector Espinal.) We kicked off the new year with them because it was recently announced they were among six winners of the Tracksmith Fellowship and look to create a Hip-Hop music project “born at the intersection of arts, athletics, and social justice.” We touch on that, the importance of celebrating and cultivating talent in the community, the connection between hip hop and the urban running scene and much more. Follow Circa '95: @circa95 | https://www.circa95.com/ Follow Reph: @RephStar Follow Patty Dukes: @Pattydukes This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify! MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“Running communities are a reflection of American communities, and if we know that American communities have been shaped by racist real estate laws; racist criminal justice systems; racist police officers; racist, segregated schools…how can there not be racism in running?” This is an episode of Social Sport – another show on the CITIUS MAG Podcast Network. This show is hosted by Emma Zimmerman and features conversations with endurance athletes of all types committed to fostering social change. The athletes she speaks with on this show are climate change activists, mental health advocates, and promoters of more inclusive outdoor spaces. Through Social Sport, she shares the stories and thoughts of people who explore the connection between sport and activism in their lives. Ben Chan is an ultra runner and activist, perhaps best known in the New York running community for his racing attire—leopard print short-shorts and a cowboy hat. But in recent times, Ben has also become well known for his activism. On this episode of Social Sport, we focus on Ben’s exchanges with a certain, high-profile race director (Gary Cantrell AKA "Lazarus Lake") who banned Black Lives Matter from his events. It can be difficult to talk negatively about people who have large followings, lots of power, and have created events that are, frankly, important to the running community. But Ben and I both feel that we need to hold everyone accountable for their words and for the communities they create—in sports and beyond. This episode was recorded about a week ago, and since that time, more exchanges have unfolded; "Lazarus Lake" shared his racist speech openly on a prominent podcast. So Ben’s sentiments shared in this episode are, perhaps, even more important. Follow Ben on Instagram: @malerunner More episodes of Social Sport can be found on CITIUS MAG. Subscribe and listen to Social Sport on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts. Also discussed in this episode: The importance of Ben’s running outfit for challenging stereotypes of Asian-Americans Running as a form of expression The Barkley Marathons documentary Outside Magazine article, “Why Did a Virtual Ultra Ban ‘Black Lives Matter” Runner’s World article on Ben and Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee Ben’s post on anti-Ku Klux Klan residents and pro-Trump residents holding opposing rallies, 11 miles from Big Backyard Ultra The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin The Autobiography of Malcolm x, as told to Alex Haley

Meggie Sullivan is a communications strategist with a specialty in architecture, design, and lifestyle. On the track and roads, she's one of the fastest women in New York City, who has a 4:18 personal best for 1,500 meters and 4:46 for the mile. She's just wrapping up her time as a captain and board of directors member with Central Park Track Club and embarking on some new and exciting projects. We talk about that as well as her up and down journey into coaching and getting involved as a mentor for youth runners. Follow Meggie on Instagram. Episode photography by Zach Hetrick | Tracksmith This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify! MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“With family comes a lot of responsibilities. With a lot of responsibilities can come a less active lifestyle is how I guess I can put it. I got caught up in life and just tried to work my ass off and raise the kids that I kind of let loose with myself as far as health and wellness was concerned. It wasn't really a priority. I didn’t really care what I looked like...From like 22 to 34, health just wasn’t a real priority for me...How I felt about myself physically wasn’t something I cared about but it should have been. I came to realize that as I got older and when I hit 240 pounds on the scale.” Lenny Grullon is one of the founders of the Boogie Down Bronx Runners, which is a group that comes out in full force at the New York City Marathon. It gets loud when you cross over into the Bronx and see their black and white shirts and flags. In this episode, you’ll learn about how that group came to be because when it all started no one initially showed up. You’ll learn about what also got Lenny started running late in his life and has kept him motivated to inspire others in his community. Outside of running, Lenny also shares what it’s been like being the Dean of Culture at DREAM Charter School in East Harlem and being a father of four in this pandemic. Follow Lenny Grullon on Instagram here. Follow the Boogie Down Bronx Runners on Instagram here. This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify! MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“I was in my own little bubble for a long time...I think if I had a sense of how bad I was, I don’t know if I would have continued. I love that in New York you can go to all these local races and kind of place high without having these super performances. I think that gave me some teasers that I could kind of be good at this.” Somehow the World Athletics World Half Marathon Championships are still set to take place on Oct. 17 in Poland. For this episode, we are joined by Marie who was set to represent France in her first-ever world championship but is 99% certain that she is not comfortable making the trip amid the global pandemic and may have to skip the race.  However, she still managed to qualify with an impressive 1:14:12 half marathon back in January in Houston. She's also run 2:36.23 for the full marathon last October in Chicago. Our very own Leigh Anne Sharek has raced against her many times in the city and can attest that Marie is definitely one of the city's fiercest competitors.  She runs for the Queens Distance Runners. For more on that group, check out our past episode with founder and captain Kevin Montalvo. We touch on how she connected with that group but most importantly how she made major leaps in training once she teamed up with her coach and husband Luciano Medina. Together, they operate and run Coach Medina NYC. You'll also learn more about her own coaching philosophy. Follow  Marie-Ange on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/marie11201/ Check out Coach Medina NYC and Marie-Ange's offerings here: https://www.coachmedinanyc.com/ 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/ Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

"We, as Bronx Femme, promote health and wellness not just in our little running community but we run the streets...It's not just for folks to come on a run but it's also to show the Bronx that we can run. We're running in the hoods. We're running in all the crevices of the Bronx. I really hope that Bronx Femme is inspiring people. This isn't normal to see runners in the Bronx so when they see us, they're always like 'What is going on?' We're breaking necks out here. I really hope people see us, join us and talk about us to further promote in the Bronx because that is so important, especially right now in the pandemic. It's so important." For this episode, we are joined by Michelle Nguyen and Amy Ortiz. They are both Bronx residents and two of the founders of the Bronx Femme Run. The group's mission statement says they aim to create a space where all women run free. They meet on the first Friday of every month and connect women from all across the city and specifically the Bronx. In this episode, we'll learn how the group came to be, what they're doing to build that safe space and how they're resetting and regaining momentum after the coronavirus pandemic hit their respective communities. This group is fairly new so we hope you enjoy getting to know them. Follow Bronx Femme Run on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bronxfemmerun/ Follow Michelle: https://www.instagram.com/michelledarce/ Follow Amy: https://www.instagram.com/alocurls/ 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/ Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“By being last, I obviously didn’t want to be last. I wanted to just beat one kid in swimming, running or whatever it was. I just wanted to get a little bit faster. Having that mindset of ‘getting a little bit faster’ is really what took me all around the world on a competitive world stage. Just wanting to be a little bit better each day and each time I compete...It was a slow progression of keep moving forward and really not letting the naysayers get to you. When you’re doing something unique and different, there will always be people who say that will not be possible or something negative about it.” Rudy Garcia-Tolson is a four-time U.S. Paralympian in swimming and track. He has got a truly inspiring story that starts with being born with popliteal pterygium syndrome that resulted in a club foot, webbed fingers on both hands, a cleft lip and the inability to straighten his legs.  At 5 years old and after many operations, he made the decision to amputate both of his legs and move forward with his life on prosthetics. This allowed him to get his start in sports and primarily swimming where he’d usually be the last one to finish races. He never gave up and set incremental goals along the way, which eventually landed him representing the U.S. at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. When it comes to running, he has set American records in his age group and classification in distances from the 400 meters to the half marathon. He has also completed an Ironman. In addition to all of that, he’s done a lot of work with New York Road Runners in guiding kids with disabilities to get their own start in sports and running. You’d think that four Paralympics would be enough for someone but the pandemic has bought him an extra year to try and make a run for a 5th. He was recently profiled in The New York Times about this because there was a point where he had to improvise and just run 10 miles in Brooklyn without much else to do for training. We hope you all learn more about everything Rudy has had to overcome and persevere. Read Rudy's story in the Times by Matthew Futterman: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/sports/olympics/rudy-garcia-tolson-paralympics.html Follow Rudy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudygarciatolson/ 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/ Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. 

“I think where the dialogue really happens is in a Black Men Run group chat that we have. Just think about what we’re all feeling when that situation happens with George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery. It really gets to a point where we don’t feel OK. We’re not alright. We try to support each other as best as we can but the reality is our job as Black Men Run is to show our community what we can do as a unit through running and to be role models. When I joined and we started doing the hood runs, just seeing the power of people in those communities seeing us as a unit and sticking together, I can’t even put a value on that. It’s so grand. That’s where a lot of hope lies – in seeing Black men like ourselves stepping out there and choosing to stick together in a positive way. In Black Men Run, we have doctors, principals, lawyers, chiropractors, educators and the list goes on. It’s just a good place where not only are we connecting through running but we stay connected outside of that and work on various things. It wasn’t a big group when they started in New York City. They stuck with it. That to me and where we’re at now is more about how they built that. Now, how do I take what they built and figure out what I can build through the things I have talent in. They were really pivotal in being an example to me and the power of sticking together with something that has meaning. One thing I’m learning is: Everything I want to do has to have a purpose. I try to think of that purpose before I do it. I’m starting to speak up with a purpose. I want people to be more vulnerable. I want people to share their stories. I want them to let people know how they’re really feeling. I think for too long and in my workplace with certain friends that I have who are white, I’ve held back on having real conversations with them for a real long time. Do you know who that’s affecting the most? Me. Because I’m holding that inside. I can’t reach my full potential until I let all of this out. My biggest message to people is to encourage them to use their voice. We all have a story. Life is difficult. Whether you’re dealing with racism or some other trauma that maybe you’ve been dealing with since you were a kid, these stories need to be let out. I’d rather know the real you than the person you perceive to be. To me, that’s when we can brick by brick lay the foundation for a better future for our youth. They need to know some of the truth." Jason Fulford is a Gowanus, Brooklyn native. He is the coordinator of community programs for Community Roots Charter School. When he's not working, he's likely running as a member of Black Men Run and The Running Edge. He is also known as the cousin of Eric Garner, who died on July 17, 2014 when a New York City police officer tackled him and put him into a fatal chokehold. Garner's dying words – "I can't breathe" –  helped galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement to protest racial injustice in America. Five years after Garner's death, Jason partnered with Overthrow NYC to host the Run for Justice in 2019. This year, the run is back and will be held on July 18. Hear about Jason's work as an activist, how running has been his therapy, his role as a father and educator during this important movement, his relationship with Eric Garner and what his hope is for the future. Follow Jason on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jayfuf15/ Register for the Run for Justice here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/run-for-justice-2020-tickets-109435273850 New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/video-dept/eric-garners-family-is-still-grieving Garner Way Foundation

"My daughter said to me the other day, 'I want to be a police officer, Daddy, so I can be a good one and make changes.' I said, 'That's good, baby. Listen to all the conversations that are happening because you don't have to make this decision yet. Originally, she wanted to be a teacher. My mother is a teacher. I'm kind of a teacher in how I articulate things to my community. Now with everything going on, I think she's kind of re-thinking things and trying to figure out her purpose in all of this. She's also hearing about the children of the future. She said that to me yesterday, 'Daddy, I keep hearing them say 'children of the future' and that's me, right?' She's understanding that she's going to be the one and her generation are going to be the ones to change this indefinitely. We're moving the big boulders out of the way but they're going to come through and they're going to clean up the dirt and get the rubble out. They're going to get something growing here." Nova Church is a captain for The Bronx Sole. If his voice sounds a little bit familiar to you, it's because he was one of the leaders who spoke at Coffey's run to protest. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, we highly recommend checking it out. In this episode, we continue the conversation amid the Black Lives Matter movement about the changes that we're pushing for as a community. Nova expands on his call to action and what he wants to see from all of us. He also shares some insight into how he started getting active in running, why helping improve the health of the Bronx keeps him motivated and the unity among the Bronx running division. People said 'The marathon continues' when Nipsey Hussle died but Nova is someone who is living that daily. Follow Nova Church on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nova.church/ Follow The Bronx Sole on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bronxsole/ Nova's suggested charity: The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. For more information visit: https://www.bronxdefenders.org/ ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/

On Sunday, June 14th, hundreds of New York City runners gathered at the East River Amphitheatre for a two-mile protest run against racial injustice and police brutality in America. The run was organized by Coffey – who was recently a guest on our show and has emerged as one of the city's most vocal activists in the fight against racism. He called on all New York City runners to come together and run together as one community. He initially expected 40 to 60 people to show up but there were hundreds. It was further proof that everyone in the running community will take the time to run together, protest together, listen together and make change together. After the run, there was a speaker series with crew leaders sharing personal stories of their encounters with racism, what it means to be Black in America and how you can help make a change. Coffey granted us permission to share the audio from the conversation. The speakers are listed below with timestamps so that you can pick up on hearing everything they had to share because it's important. We have also included their respective Instagram handles so you can follow them. Coffey of DeFine New York Run Club: 3:44 (@thatcoffeyboy) Pastor Craig Holliday of the Brooklyn Tabernacle: 13:08 New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchel Silver: 17:50 (@mitchell_silver) Cheryl Donald of Brooklyn Track Club: 23:56 (@blackpearlruns) Dao-Yi Chow of Old Man Run Club: 32:54 (@alldaydaoyi) Mike Saes of Bridge Runners: 43:40 (@mikesaes) Jessie Zapo of Girls Run NYC: 47:48 (@jessiezapo) Hector Espinal of We Run Uptown: 56:36 (@hecisdead) Julissa Tejada of Wilpower Fitness: 1:01:09 (@mrs._wilpower_) Jason Fulford of The Running Edge & the cousin of Eric Garner (@jayfuf15): 1:05:59 Steve Finley of Brooklyn Track Club: 1:14:21 (@steve__finley) Nova Church of Bronx Sole: 1:19:11 (@nova.church) Power Malu of Bridgerunners: 1:28:00 (@powermalu) Cover photo provided Steven Rojas | @stevenrojas

"I saw that there was this lack of representation within this space. Even though I'm going it at a recreational level, I started to see the reactions and responses to people who were finding out that this is something I was actually doing. It is very normal for folks to just think, 'Oh you're in the sprinter category or you're you're more for short, fast distances or jumping' and that's the end of the road. Even my family and friends finding out that I am running these longer distances, my parents were even like, 'Oh my gosh. This is so wild and we're so excited to see you.' My little cousins were looking up to me and saying, 'Oh my God, Ameerah! This is so cool that you're doing this' and asking questions. For me, seeing that beginning to happen made me think there's something that's here. There's this sense of representation that's definitely lacking. Now that I have this opportunity to show up and be in this space, it's super important to stay there and continue moving forward. This is available to any and everybody...There's a lot of self-limiting beliefs but then we also have socioeconomic limitations that are set on certain groups of people. Speaking to this conversation and leaning into just showing up. I'm a huge advocate of just showing up. That's something that I always say. For me personally, it became this super important thing to just keep showing up and taking up space to a certain degree." Ameerah Omar is a self-development coach and meditation teacher but also the mindset coach for Adidas Runners and one of the first members of Girls Run NYC. In this episode, Ameerah shares some advice for how we can all go about getting in the right headspace in such weird times, the importance of a routine and taking inventory of your well-being at the moment. We dive into her upbringing, her introduction to sport and how she went from a multi-sport athlete in college to frequently running marathons. Ameerah shares some insights into her involvement and the mission of Girls Run NYC as one of the city's groups using running as service and helping others. We also continue the discussion of race and running with Ameerah and how she's been grappling with the news of Ahmaud Arbery's death. Ameerah was another guest that was frequently requested from our listeners so we're happy to finally bring you her story. Follow Ameerah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameerah_omar/ Check out Girls Run NYC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsrunnyc/ ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/

"My grandfather told us from the jump, ‘Don’t ever let color separate you from anything. Don’t the color of green get you into any kind of trouble with another color but always accept another color besides your color and because we can all be a family together. Don’t worry about whoever it is that hates your color. You were born this color for a reason and wear it with pride.’ That’s what I’ve been doing since that day. I’m not afraid to speak my mind because I’m black. I just pay attention to my surroundings at all times at 110% level." To start, we address the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man in Georgia who was fatally gunned down by two white men while jogging near his home. Arbery was killed on Feb. 23. A legal argument from a district attorney, who later recused himself from the case, follows and says that no one should be arrested. However, after the 36-second video footage of the shooting is made public, outrage follows and the two men are eventually arrested. Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Harlem Run founder Alison Desir (who was a guest on this podcast) expressed her frustration with the lack of coverage by the sports and running media. Following her Instagram post, coverage ramped up and Arbery's face was posted everywhere. Desir wrote the following essay for Outside Magazine. You can read it here (https://www.outsideonline.com/2413115/ahmaud-arbery-murder-whiteness-running-community) This is an issue that is certainly important and underscores that we could all do better about having and acting on these conversations. Our guest for this episode is Coffey. He is a father, husband, filmmaker, Nike running pacer and the founder of Define New York Run Club. This conversation was on our schedule before the Arbery shooting but we take the first 30 minutes of our talk to address the story, its impact on him and how he relates to the likes of Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. We go back to his roots in North Carolina, how he got his start in fashion and filmmaking, why he got hooked on group running and then ultimately starting his own group. You may have seen him on recent episodes of ‘For Life’ but his big project has been the short film “About the People” which hosts a very powerful and honest conversation about social justice and inequalities by black and brown men at the hands of police brutality. Coffey was one of the writers on the film and drew some inspiration from the conversations he’s had to have with his oldest son on police brutality. Follow Coffey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ThatCoffeyBoy/ Follow Define New York Run Club: https://www.instagram.com/DefineNewYorkRunClub/ More on 'About The People': https://www.instagram.com/AboutThePeopleFilm/ ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/

"It's been pretty overwhelming and stressful at work. I am in the gastroenterology and hematology unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Every floor in the building specializes in a specific type of cancer. For now, I'm not working directly with COVID patients but we have about four to six floors exclusively for COVID patients. My floor is taking in cancer patients from all the other floors. It's a very stressful environment even though I'm not taking care of COVID patients. There were a lot of positive cases between patients and nurses in my unit. I have not tested positive, thank goodness. We all have to wear personal protective equipment even though we're not a COVID unit. My hospital has been amazing in protecting us with enough PPE, giving us support and implementing a lot of testing for COVID. All the nurses in my unit have to get swabbed every week and we're also swabbing our patients every two days. When the coronavirus started, we all didn't know much about it and so seeing my colleagues getting infected was so overwhelming. My biggest fear that I had – and I still have it – every time I go to work is to bring the virus to my apartment and my family, especially my mom. She's my primary caregiver. She's over 60 years old. It's pretty scary but I'm taking all the necessary precautions just before I enter my apartment to see them. I love my hospital. I love my job and helping people with cancer in emotional and physical aspects. They're very special to me. It is sad and feels like a different world when patients and their loved ones are suffering and struggling to survive. At the end of my shift, it makes me feel like a better person and I thank God for my life, my family and I just want to go home to hug my kids." Today is National Nurses Day and we're super thankful to have amazing medical professionals working on the frontlines in hospitals combating the coronavirus pandemic. We're fortunate to share a conversation with Ana Johnson, an oncology nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a runner with Distance Project NYC who has shown resiliency and heroism in these devastating times. Our chat touches on the state of work at the moment but also sheds some positivity from her upbringing in Mexico, starting running at a young age, a made-for-Hollywood love story, being a mom to two kids and qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Follow Ana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anajohnson8/ 📧 NEWSLETTER SIGN UP - mailchi.mp/6cd793688a6d/runnersofnyc ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/runners-of-nyc-podcast/

"Around Labor Day of 2019, I had to go into the hospital for open-heart surgery. That was quite unexpected. Totally unexpected. Didn't realize that. I had no signs of anything going wrong with my body. I was actually training to do the Ragnar Napa with a bunch of friends. We were going to go out there and revisit our old ultra team. A bunch of old geezers were going to go out and run this race so I was training for that. I just happened to go into the doctors for a checkup. One thing led to another and I found out I had a major aneurysm on my aorta and that needed to be taken care of right away. I spent Labor Day weekend getting that tended to. When I got out of the hospital, I got back out to Montauk and started rehabbing and walking. My last visit to the doctor, which was around November maybe, they gave me a thumbs up that I could start training and running. So I have this big bodacious goal to run the 2020 marathon in New York." After consulting with some of our listeners, we heard you want more uplifting and inspirational stories in these uncertain times so we decided to catch up with one of the most familiar and friendliest voices that New York City runners may be familiar with. Former New York Road Runners director of events and New York City Marathon race director Peter Ciaccia joins the show. Ciaccia retired from his role with NYRR after 18 years following the 2018 New York City Marathon. Ciaccia started becoming a fixture at the start and finish of races when Mary Wittenberg left NYRR in May 2015 and he was promoted. His "Good morning, runners!' and "Do I have clearance on the roadways?" were staples at the start of races. In his time with the organization, he was a leader who helped innovate and improve races. We'll go back to his family's roots in Italy, his childhood in the Bronx, his introduction to sport, his love and passion for music and how he brought those talents to event planning. Whether you were winning local races or among the final finishers, Peter was always one of the biggest cheerleaders for everyone's race experience.  We also ask him about how he's processing all the news regarding the coronavirus and what it would take for him to feel safe at a race. ▶ Follow Peter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peter_ciaccia/ Support for this episode comes from FICS NYC (206 West 23rd Street, 3rd Floor) a fitness recovery and wellness studio. FICS is among the many places that have had to close their doors due to the COVI-19 pandemic. The fitness inspired calibration recovery studio is still offering 15-minute virtual chiropractic consultations with Dr. Duma so that you can continue to stay healthy while you're at home. She's worked with runners of all levels and members of the U.S. Olympic fencing team so you're in good hands. To schedule your appointment, you can call them at 646-241-4948 or email info@ficsnyc.com. When they re-open you can use code RUNNERSOFNYC to get 20% off all services, packages and memberships (only for first month). First-time users also get their choice of one modality for free on their initial visit. | https://ficsnyc.com/ 📧 NEWSLETTER SIGN UP - mailchi.mp/6cd793688a6d/runnersofnyc ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc 👕 MERCH NOW AVAILABLE HERE: www.bonfire.com/store/citius-mag/