Running for a Cause
By Angelica Jackson, junior, Indiana University Southeast
After being a competitive track runner since 6th grade, Robin Thompson, a junior at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, wanted to continue her love of running while in college. So in August 2010, Thompson founded a school running club open to runners at all levels.
“I wanted to share my love for running with my friends and other students while making exercise fit in our hectic school schedule,” she says. “Our motto is that: No matter what your pace, you’re faster than the guy on the couch.”
Their motto is designed to encourage all students to join in and get some exercise. Their mission is to promote physical fitness, reduce academic stress, and give back to their community through volunteer efforts.
The group meets once a week to run, but runs are flexible, depending on members’ schedules. Even though they may get extra busy with classwork, members are motivated by the strong friendships they develop in the club as well as a beautiful running location—the campus stretches along the beaches of Pensacola. Runs usually cover 1 to 10 miles.
Shoes for the Needy
This past fall, six of the runners led a university-wide shoe drive called Soles4Souls and donated more than 150 pairs of used shoes to the homeless in the area. Also last year, the running club raised money for The Waterfront Rescue Unit Mission; some ran a half marathon (13.1 miles) while others ran the whole marathon (26.2) miles for the cause.
Thompson encourages all students to get together and follow their passion in a fun and uplifting way that supports the community. She says that students on any campus can start their own running group by getting a group of friends together. Then she recommends contacting the campus life office to make the group official and get more students involved.
Thompson says, “You can unite as friends and do something fun while helping your community.”
ANGELICA JACKSON IS A BIOCHEMISTRY PRE-MEDICINE MAJOR AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST. HER PASSION IS ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN MAKING OUR PLANET A GREENER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT.
Find Out More
Click for more about Soles4Souls and how you can get involved.
