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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