The Ripple Effect of Connection In Running

A couple of weeks ago, Lori and I clicked on the show Ripple on Netflix. We did not know what to expect but in two days we watched 8 episodes. I cried at least 8 times over those episodes. The show touched me in a way that I was unprepared for. Beyond that, it gave me perspective on how Run Tri Bike and the Everyday Athlete Clubhouse is where it is.

September 2020 — The Beginning

Allow me to take you back to September 2020. It was a tumultuous time in all of our lives. The pandemic was ongoing, we didn’t know what would happen next. There was a concern about being employed. That would be enough but there were parts of my life that weren’t happy. Divorce would soon be coming.

So I thought, why not start a business. If this wasn’t enough to concern myself with, building something from the ground up with no safety net makes perfect sense. I went about the process of filing paperwork, building a site, finalizing printing schedules (yes, we had an actual print magazine). We also needed people to talk to so I went where anybody else would…..Instagram.

If you are unaware of the concept of the ripple effect, allow me to explain as briefly as I can. The ripple effect is where a small event takes place. It doesn’t seem like much except that the event leads to another event and then another. You get the gist. The idea is that we are all interconnected in some form or fashion. Think of the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

The First Ripple: Hector Rodriguez

This is where the fun begins. I ‘discovered’ an athlete by the name of Hector Rodriguez. Hector was posting pictures of himself preparing to take on the Triple Crown of 200s. It was fun to watch the workouts, read his posts and feel connected. He was the person I wanted to have shown on our platform.

I reached out to Hector and he agreed to put together a story for our How It All Started feature. We reviewed it and I was ecstatic that the business was coming together. Stories of everyday athletes were becoming a reality.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Second Ripple: Aum Gandhi

Not long after that, I received an email from our website. It was for another How It All Started and this time the person’s name was Aum Gandhi.  This was exciting. I not only had one athlete agree to share his story and now another athlete was sending in their story without me having to ask. Add in that Hector is Hispanic and Aum is South Asian, the concept of proving a starting line was for everybody and every body was taking hold.

When I talked to Aum, he said that he was inspired to share his story because he saw that Hector had shared his with Run Tri Bike. Not long after Aum submitted his story we began talking more and more. This eventually led to him becoming a partner in the business. The ripple effect in the world of running and endurance sports was being felt.

The Third Ripple: Jordan Whetstone

Aum introduced me to Jordan Whetsone and Rising Hearts. At the time of the introduction, I didn’t know what would come of it. What was this connection going to lead to? The answer is simple and very impactful because I learned. I was able to open my eyes to a world I had never seen before.

Rising Hearts is an Indigenous-led organization that is dedicated to amplifying community voices through kinship, movement advocacy, and storytelling. This sounded very familiar as the goal of Run Tri Bike has been to prove there is a spot at the starting line for everybody and every body. There was an opportunity for collaboration, connection as well as promoting a movement that would create meaningful change.

What a ripple this was but it wasn’t done. Through this connection, I was able to meet Mariah Zavala.

The Fourth Ripple: Mariah Zavala 

The first word that comes to mind when I think of Mariah is WOW. Before I explain that, let me connect this dot.

Joran asked for sponsors for Rising Hearts athletes participating in the Every Woman’s Marathon in Phoenix. I talked to Lori and Santino about this. We agreed it was something we can as well as should do. I spoke to Jordan about sponsoring but with the caveat that it was going to be more than just money. I wanted to get to know the athlete we were directly sponsoring.

Guess who steps into that role? Whose name takes the next opportunity to create a ripple effect in our running world? That’s right, it was Mariah Zavala.

Mariah is a whirlwind of joy, honesty, help and just about any other word you can think of. I was blown away then by her vibrancy and desire to help her community as well as me.

Despite the Every Woman’s Marathon being held in November, Mariah and I still converse today. I consider her to be a friend, a sister and a guiding light when it comes to providing perspective.

But wait there is more…..more happened at the Every Woman’s Marathon.

The Fifth Ripple: Lace Coughlin

During our visit to the Rising Hearts house in November, Lori and I got to meet Lace Coughlin. Her energy, smile, presence was off the charts.

I met Lace during a Zoom call but you cannot get a true feel for the person until you meet them in-person. At the house, and on the course the next day, she was electric. It felt like something out of a movie because how does one person bring so much energy.

And this is why, I was elated when she agreed to be on Enduring Minds. Up until her appearance, the show had been focused on men. Evan and I decided that mental health is not just a men’s thing and it is something that impacts all of us. Lace agreed and now that ripple effect will continue because there will be a woman that sees (or hears) the show. They will take the chance to contact us and ask to be a guest.

Can you see that ripple effect, in running, and outside of running taking place? Yeah, me too.

Connect Your Dots

Here is my bigger point. Take a moment today to go back in time to connect your dots. How did you get here? Who impacted your life to lead you to this moment? Now, go thank them. Tell them you appreciate what they have done for you because without that encounter what you are doing today would never have happened.

Leave me a comment on where your current endurance sports journey started. Who was the catalyst in getting you to this point?

ADVERTISEMENT