An Icon!

This is Joan Benoit Samulson.  The first winner of the first women's olympic marathon.  She is a  hero and a leader of all women in sports.  I had the unique intimate chance to meet, talk and explain to her what running has done for my life.  We started off with a short run at my alma mater UW-Milwaukee with an icon.  Most students walking around probably had no idea who she is and what she has done for women's sports particularly for women's running.  They probably thought it was a big group of runners.  It was amazing to run with her.  There was probably 30 of us who ran an slow 5k around the campus on a perfect fall Wisconsin evening.  Then we went in to meet her, clean up and  hear her story surrounding the documentary that she is showing tonite.
I was shocked to find out there was only a few of us in the room at the time... with an Olympian- A marathoner-an ICON! So I took the opportunity and talked with her about my journey.  What running had saved me in so many ways.  It helped me through the depths of darkness with the journey with Meghan and it still does, it helps me to prioritize what treatment and what to do next but mostly it has kept me healthy!  I have to be healthy to take care of my girls! She was quiet, humble with a passion for running.  Her story is extraordinary and the outcome even more fabulous.
As the evening progressed to seeing the documentary, listening to the comments and questions afterwards I had experienced so many emotions.  The mere fact that she has ran a sub 2:50 marathon for 5 consecutive decades is incomprehensible!
What an evening to meet Joan.  The hero, the icon, the mother, the environmentalist, the Olympian!