This is a SPECIAL EDITION of “Running Has Taught Me…” because this particular feature is about a fellow Mother-Runner, fellow Military Spouse, and a fellow motivator of other women! It is my pleasure to introduce you to a Military Spouse of the Year Nominee, Stephanie Geraghty!
Running has taught me…
to be a team player!
Wait a minute…team? Running? But, I thought it only takes one person to run? You can head out the door, me myself and I, with your shoes, your headphones, your thoughts, your plan, and run for long solo miles. It’s time for YOU. You can clear your head, solve a problem, spend time in prayer, or just think about nothing. It’s peaceful. It’s solo. It’s beautiful. And that’s what I thought running was.
WOOP member Kelly Mulder &Okinawa Stroller Warrior Founder
Then we moved to Camp Lejeune in 2009. I liked it here but after several months, I still did not feel “home.” Home is where the heart is and family IS my heart. As military families, our extended family lives far away and sometimes even our spouse, so our military friends fill that gap. With a deployment fast approaching friends were not only a want, they were a necessity.
But HOW? I needed a club. No…I needed a TEAM. And wouldn’t it be cool if that team was compiled of Mother runners, just like me?!
My name is Stephanie Geraghty and I’m the proud coordinator of Stroller Warriors Running Club. In January of 2010, I scouted out trails and playgrounds in search of workout locations. After advertising my idea through ads, flyers, and business cards, slowly but surely the interest trickled in. There were other military Mother runners out there and they needed this team just as much as I did. Thus, my dream became a reality!
The success has been astounding. We have since grown to three chapters (Lejeune, New Orleans, and Okinawa) and have over 400 members worldwide. We held official workouts three times a week in 2011 and are planning to add even more workouts and club spinoffs (Prayer Warriors, Cycle Warriors, Book Warriors) in 2012. We donate meals to the needy, raise money for the challenged, and cook meals for the troubled. We race in honor of a cause and we run to make better lives for our families and ourselves.
I could write a novel on every workout, every race, and every member. These Mother runners are hands down the most amazing people you’d ever meet. They are hard working, motivated, light-hearted, hilarious, generous, selfless, and loyal. They each bring their own gifts and talents, their own goals and pace, but somehow they all still mesh. They are competitive but they enjoy each other’s victories more than their own. They lead by example. And perhaps best of all, they are a TEAM. Together they laugh, they cry, they overcome, and they RUN.
So, now when I head out the door all I really need are my shoes and my kids because I have a teammate at my side and she seems to fill in the rest! She’s a Stroller Warrior and she would do just about anything for me and everyone else in the club. She pounds the pavement while I vent about a bad day, share my awesome news, quiet my rowdy boys, or blow an occasional snot rocket! We finish together and we’re both better for it. I’m not alone anymore but I can still achieve just as much as I did before, only MORE.
Without a doubt this is the best team I’ve ever joined and my goal is to spread this miracle across the entire world.
With your help, I can meet that goal. I’m proud to announce that I’m currently in the running for Marine Corps Spouse of the Year! This amazing honor will afford me the opportunity to grow and evolve Stroller Warriors into an international super power, enabling military families to live happier healthier lives, nurture their children, give back to their community, and easily find a “home” at every duty station.
Please click this link to view my finalist profile and cast your vote! Registration will only take you 1 minute.
http://msoy.milspouse.com/
You can vote once every 60 minutes until February 3rd. It’s a long haul that will take persistence, reminiscent of running. Luckily I know you’re good at that so this will be a cinch! Please save the link to your favorites and take 30 seconds to vote each time you sit down at the computer. I also encourage you to share this story via emails, blogs, newsletters, Facebook, your spouse’s unit, and your Family Readiness Officers.
Sarah, thank you for the opportunity to share my story. You’re one nifty lady and I understand why you have such a huge following. Readers, good luck in your own running endeavors. I hope you find your own team soon. And who knows…maybe in a year or two, your team will be Stroller Warriors. Thank you so much and HAPPY RUNNING.
Stephanie Geraghty
Stroller Warriors Running Club Coordinator
Camp Lejeune, NC
stephgeraghty@gmail.com
***Find “Stroller Warriors” on Facebook.