Jill started walking with the Sunrise Sisters, a group of ladies in her neighborhood and ended up pairing up with one similarly paced walker. They’d been telling her all about the races they’ve done and encouraging her to do one for herself too. They encouraged her so much she signed up for the LA Marathon – something that had been on her bucket list but way far out there for her to tackle. After signing up, she connected with the LA Leggers and started really training and while in the gym with a trainer, he mentioned October and the Long Beach Half Marathon – which just happened to fall on her dad’s birthday.
So she signed up in memory of her dad – he’d be with her as she tackled her first half. She was SO nervous and she cried with emotion and a sense of accomplishment as she crossed the Long Beach half marathon – “I did it!” knowing full well that in 2022 and early 2023 she would not have been able to do it. Nothing quite like that feeling.
Jill is a race walker – she said she loves that walking is exhilarating, being out in the open, the people around you, the energy motivating you along the way. And at the Long Beach Marathon weekend, she came across the Golden State Challenge idea and thought, why don’t I try this! The medal caught her attention of course, then she strategized about doing it over the 2024 year. She leaned on her LA Leggers group, with their great tips along the way to stay healthy, not get injured and keep going.
Jill had a few extra aces up her sleeve for 2024 – not only did she race walk Surf City half marathon, Napa to Sonoma, AND Long Beach again (virtually this time) she achieved her quest for the Golden State Challenge medal by placing 3rd in her age group for the Run Malibu 5k!
And now, Jill is on board to take on the Golden State Challenge in 2025 with the Surf City 10 (“10 miler, because I can”), Long Beach Half, Run Malibu and Golden Gate Half, all half marathon distances. We might even see her at the Run Sip Santa Barbara race!
One of Jill’s many goals is to never get picked up by the sweep vehicle and to always finish. She’s grateful for the discipline that comes with training for all of these, it keeps you going and connected to others. Every Saturday morning, rain or shine, hot or cold, to be at the track at 6am to take off for an 18 miler is the ultimate routine that keeps her energized and focused.
Why does she do this? “Because I get to,” Jill emphasizes. And she added “I have every intention to continue on for as long as I can, because I CAN!”
