Toni is a fellow Running Coach and a wealth of knowledge! Transitioning from a college athlete playing soccer, she tore her ACL and was looking for what could be next. Running was not on her radar but she jumped into the Pittsburgh Half Marathon and it hooked her!

So many athletes can relate to the transition when you stop your sport and aren't sure what's next. Toni signed up for her first marathon and started training and we love how she reflects on her journey that got her to where she is today.

She never could have imagined that running would become her career... but that's exactly what happened, but not without a few bumps along the way. 

In 2019 Toni experienced an ankle injury that took 3 years to work through. She found out she had chronically stretched-out ligaments and eventually had surgery after getting conflicting advice from professionals. 

Toni said meditation really helped her by looking at her specific situation and detaching from her history and focusing on the facts. That's when she knew surgery was the best route for her.

After her surgery, she focused on the things that made her happy - cooking and her business were at the top of the list. Although she missed running it did allow her to find new things that made her happy! She really worked on her mindset and worked up to training hard again.

She started training for the Columbus Half Marathon and absolutely loved it! Seeing the road it took for her to get there is so inspiring to us. 

 She is currently training for the Bayshore Marathon this spring and we can't wait to cheer her on!

Follow Toni @tonikengor

CONNECT WITH US:
IG: @sfsrunners
Coach Erin: @therunningrosen
Coach Michaela: @michaela_robertson_
WEBSITE: https://www.stridesforstrength.com/

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST