MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - Anybody can be a runner and any body will do. But the benefits go beyond staying healthy mentally and physically.
Mirna Valerio says it was a crazy lifestyle that showed her she needed to make a change in her life, and while her lifestyle still is packed, it’s packed with what she considers to be top priorities
“I am a trail runner, ultra marathoner, diversity practitioner, mom,” said Valerio.
The list goes on.
Mirna Valerio is a liver, especially since she was told in 2008, her over-stressed lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. The wake up call was wanting to see her son grow up.
“And the very next day I got back on my treadmill,” said Valerio.
And she ran and ran -- running her way into publications like National Geographic, the New York Times, and even Runners World magazine.
And she did it, with intention.
“You can run in any body, literally any body. You can be a runner,” said Valerio.
Her goal started with showing through a blog, you can be a runner with a larger body in a sport dominated by thinner athletes. She soon realized, her message was even broader.
“Apparently inspiring people, maybe not doing things like running half marathons or marathons, but doing things that were outside of their comfort zone,” said Valerio.
And that is where the Mirnavator says she lives, in the fringe between comfort and the edge. Valerio says she will never back down from a challenge.
“I grow, I learn, and I actually flourish when I am presented with a challenge,” said Valerio.
Her new lifestyle has fast-tracked her to working toward social change.
“I want to continue bringing people to adventure. Joy, adventure, community, inclusion and learning and regardless of whatever is out there, I want to do it, if they fit under those things and if I can bring people to those things, I’m going to do it,” she said.
And one challenge she says she has been working on closely in recent years is racial equity.
“I get to educate people on what does it mean to have an identity. What is an identity,” said Valerio.
Valerio also works as a diversity practitioner. She says for many, talking about race can be uncomfortable, but she says that’s part of the process. Helping people wrestle with identity and perspective, so the only way they can move, is forward.
“I love, even in running, I love bringing people to that edge,” she said.
She says whether it is running, or tackling topics like racial equity, there is only benefit to stepping out of your comfort zone.
“The only thing that is going to happen, is you are going to learn,” said Valerio.
She says the silver lining to COVID-19 is that she’s gotten to spend more time with her son since they are both home more often. As for her future, she says she is excited to travel again when it can be done safely, but she has dug her roots in Vermont and says she is never leaving.
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February 11, 2021 at 08:47PM
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Montpelier woman seeks to change the running scene - WCAX
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