Celebrate Like A Champion!
Columbus, Ohio — May 5, 2012
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Tell Us About You » View the Inspiration 2011
Pre-race Stories 2011
May 2011
I am participating in the 1/2 marathon because too many years I let life go by me..this is on my Bucket List of things I wanted to prove to myself. I gained a lot of weight after college... at one point I was 320 lbs. and dieted with Aktins... the wrong way. I realized that at that weight, I was slowly killing myself. I had lots of aches and pains, asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. Life was very stressful too! When I was stressed I ate. 7 months ago, I got a new life... a very active one. I work out at Urban Active every day... I can walk 15 miles, I can kickbox with my trainer, and have a very active life. I weighed 253 at the Preview Center in and I have lost over 70 lbs and 86 inches since beginning my new life 7 months ago. The difference... I have a village of support that I built at my gym to make sure I was not invisible and could sneak away and not be responsible for following through. I have life! I will be wearing a shirt to honor my large village of support from my gym... On the front of my t-shirt it says... my life began at Urban Active and on the back "Rose's Village of support" and I have 20 signatures of my village of support from membership, to front desk folks to the trainers, especially my trainer. I am so grateful to a new active life. I have hope for the first time in 29 years that I can and will reach goal. It is such a blessing that I never thought possible. I have new confidence, new skills, and am doing things at 54 that I didn't do at 34... I am so grateful. I learned that fitness is fun and I will not ever go back to the old ways! My father, who is 80 said that he was proud when I paid for my own schooling but his proudest moments of me... is what I am accomplishing now... He went on to say that he thought he would bury me before he died because of the way my health was going.
My motto for the 1/2 marathon... run, walk, or crawl... to the finish line. I am only competing against me... I am proud to participate and will get the finish line... one way or the other... run, walk or crawl.... After this...I am planning other fitness goals to add to my bucket list. I have only just started my life...7 months ago and it will be a healthy, active one.
— Rosemary Walton
January 2011
After my second son was born in August 2005 I weighed almost 200 pounds at 5' 5". I couldn't even bend over to tie my shoes without finding myself out of breath. My husband and I both decided to take on the challenge of getting healthy, but I wanted to push myself to a lofty goal...running my first half-marathon! For a mommy that couldn't run to the fridge, let alone on a treadmill — this was going to be a great challenge. With a lot of perseverance (grapefruit, granola and buying stock in Marathoning for Mortals), I was on my way. I ran my first half in Columbus in 2007 weighing in at 145 pounds and have continued to run halfs, 5Ks and even a triathlon. The Capital City has always been my favorite race and after a year off from running, I'm ready to hit the snowy trails again in preparation for my sixth half-marathon!
— Angel Daniels
