Welcome to this episode of Grit, Guts and Determination, The Leadville Race Series Podcast, a leading authority on all things Leadville. Host Cole Chlouber takes us on a story-telling journey of the 38 year rich history of this race. Listen in as they provide tips, tricks, and stories from the Leadville members. In today’s episode we meet Donna Marie Provenzano, resident of Twin Lakes, a mother with a full-time career and is involved in multiple philanthropic endeavors. Despite all of these commitments, she still found a way to be successful on that trail. Sit back and hear Donna Marie’s story and her journey to being found by Leadville.

As the conversation begins, Donna Marie recalls how she was found by Leadville 20 years ago, when a friend was participating in the race and asked Donna Marie to be her timer. She was a marathon runner, but Leadville seemed untouchable and impossible for her experience level at the time. After a few years of trail running, she decided to take a chance and put her name in the hat for Leadville, and she was chosen! She has since ran in 5 Leadvilles, with 2 DNF’s. After the race of her first DNF, it became the mission of her and her team to ensure she finished the following year. Much of Leadville is a mental game that requires your brain’s commitment to finishing when you show up at the start line.

The Leadville family is one very close to Donna Marie’s heart. Despite her recent medical setbacks, she details her upcoming plans for races in the future and her hopes to be back with Leadville in the next few years. She is a teacher in Denver, but comes to Twin Lakes during weekends for the serenity and mountain views. Between being a single mom, an artist, a teacher and a runner, she has her hands quite full. As a teacher, she shares her appreciation for the Leadville Foundation and all of the different ways they help out the local community.

Because of the intense training schedule, Donna Marie always makes a point to ask her daughters for their permission to commit to the race. The Leadville family has been more than welcoming to her three daughters, who love the community just as much as their mom. In response, Cole iterated that Leadville is founded on the backs of strong women. Donna Marie has instilled in her three daughters the fact that they can do anything they put their mind to. They have found many role models in the Leadville community.

Leadville 100 has instilled in Donna Marie the knowledge that she can overcome anything. People and community help you be the best person you can be, to volunteer and to give back to them and your own family, too. In closing, they speak of unexpected challenges that could present themselves during Leadville and how to prepare for them.

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