Women's Running Retreat Keynote Speakers

The vision of our first-ever Women’s Running Retreat at Craftsbury is to create a community of women supporting and coaching women. We are dedicating a space to/for women to celebrate their running goals (whatever they may be) and to honor the challenges women face at any age (especially during the pandemic). Our focus is on running in relationship to life, rather than life in relationship to running.

Through this and future Women’s Running Retreats, we will continue to push the need for gender parity in the world of coaching by only having female coaches and speakers. We want to amplify women’s voices in the running world and support the work of women making positive impacts.

For our initial virtual retreat in June, we honored to welcome these exceptional women as keynote speakers:

Alison Marielle Désir

Named by Women's Running as one of the "Power Women of 2021" and by The Root 100 as one of the most influential African Americans, ages 25 to 45, Alison is an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate. Alison is the founder of Harlem Run (an NYC-based running movement), Run 4 All Women (an initiative that has raised over $150,000 for Planned Parenthood and $270,000 for Black Voters Matter), and co-chair of the newly formed Running Industry Diversity Coalition, which seeks to make the running industry more equitable and inclusive (and has helped raise $230,000 to date for the 2:23 Foundation). In 2020, Alison launched the highly successful Meaning Thru Movement Tour, a series of 9 virtual fitness and mental health events that featured widely sought after experts and fitness professionals, such as Chris Mosier, Kenya Crawford and Stephanie Bruce. Alison is currently working on a book, The Unbearable Whiteness of Running, out October 2022. Alison is the Director of Sports Advocacy as well as an Athlete Advisor for Oiselle.

She/Her/Hers
@alisonmdesir, aka powderedfeet
www.alisonmdesir.com
Founder: @HarlemRun, @Run4AllWomen

Mirna Valerio

Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator and cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, author of the Amazon bestselling memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress, and antiracism educator. Although she began running in high school, she recommitted to the sport after a health scare in 2008 and started her blog Fatgirlrunning—about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner endurance athletes— while training for her first marathon. Mirna's athletic story has been featured in the WSJ, Runner’s World, on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in the viral REI-produced documentary short, The Mirnavator. Her writing has been featured in Women’s Running Magazine, Self Magazine Online, Outside Online, and Runner's World Magazine. In 2018 she was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and she has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Access Daily, and on Nigel Barker’s new V1Ve Network. When she wears her diversity, equity, and inclusion hat, she helps schools, nonprofits, and businesses to step up their antiracism efforts. She currently lives, trains, and works in Vermont.

She/Her/Hers
@themirnavotor
www.themirnavator.com
Author: A Beautiful Work in Progress, Fatgirlrunning

Jess Movold

Jess Movold is a running and strength coach certified through NASM and RRCA currently living in New York. She has completed 15 marathons, countless half marathons, The Speed Project, and a 100k in NYC. Jess believes strength and speed go hand-in-hand and is determined to take her 3:14:37 marathon time to sub 3 hours someday. As a Runner’s World+ Coach, she provides guidance and support whether you are walking your first mile or completing an ultra-marathon. Jess believes EVERYONE should feel welcome when it comes to the running community and it’s her mission to help anyone and everyone who loves to run feel included.

She/Her/Hers
@jessmovold
Run Coach @runnersworldcoach
Strength Coach @thefortnyc
Sponsored Athlete @nycustompt
https://www.runnersworld.com/author/225073/Jess-Movold/