On the Move

We all know the best part of a race is the swag! This week on the pod we introduce you to the fierce twosome behind Sports Backers' finisher item designs and merchandise collections. Alison Hale, our Retail Manager, and Dion Ellis, our Graphic Designer, give you the inside scoop on what it looks like to be a part of the creative process from start to finish. 

Last week Dr. Lisa Mitro (@dr.lisa.dpt) was a part of our Run Richmond pre-race panel. On Saturday she ran her first full marathon, and now we want the tea! Check out what she has to say about training with the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team, race day, recovery...and a couple Taylor Swift anecdotes!

On the eve of the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon we had a live discussion at the Walmart Health & Fitness Expo with a stacked crew of running podcasters and personalities! We all can benefit from community, and running is no different! Whether your support system is a virtual crew, your neighbor, a local run club, or a coach, we’re exploring all the ways we hold each other accountable. Hear how finding community has impacted well-known personalities in the running industry no matter their skill level and goals. Lindsey Hein of I’ll Have Another moderates a discussion between Trevor Spencer of Marathon Training Academy, Martinus Evans of 300 Pounds and Running, Cynthia Vissers of Another Mother Runner, and Lisa Mitro of Rehab for Runners. 

Nan & Kam welcome their first guest to the studio, Megan Schultz! Megan has been at Sports Backers for over 16 years. As the race director for the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, she knows all the info you need for race day on November 11! We solicited questions on social media and then asked a few of our own, because we're fun like that!

Our Sports Backers Podcast has a host change! Welcome to On The Move with Nan & Kam! Meet your two new fitness besties that are here to chat all things active lifestyle in Richmond, VA! New episodes drop every Thursday!

This episode of Sports Backers' On the Move podcast serves as a special preview of the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, featuring Megan Schultz, Chief Operating Officer of Sports Backers and race director for the marathon. She’s got all the details you need to know to have a great race experience in Richmond on November 12 and we’ll take a deep dive during this episode.

Thanks again to Megan for joining this episode and giving us so much insight into the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, and VCU Health Richmond 8k. November 12 promises to be another special day and I hope you’re as excited about it as we are. All the info you need is available at www.RichmondMarathon.org, so check that out, and follow @SportsBackers on social media as well.

Until the next episode, thanks for tuning in!

Our guest on this episode of the On the Move podcast is Tiffany Copeland, Director of the Fitness Warriors program for Sports Backers. Tiffany gives us a detailed overview of the Fitness Warriors, the innovative program that is addressing health disparities through active living in communities throughout central Virginia. The program has become a national model for creating fitness opportunities, and Tiffany shared more details on a recent trip to take part in a White House conference on building healthy and active communities.

We also discussed Tiffany’s own personal fitness journey and how that led her to the Fitness Warriors, plus she shared updates on the program and how community members can get involved in the next class of Warriors.

Applications for the next class of the Fitness Warriors are open until October 31 and can be found online at www.sportsbackers.org/program/fitness-warriors/ and you can also learn more on social media @RVAFitnessWarriors.

Until the next episode, thanks for tuning in!

Our guest on this episode is Cheryl Groce-Wright. Cheryl is head coach of the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team, which helps runners prepare for the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon on November 12. Before becoming head coach, Cheryl was a participant and then assistant coach, so she’s got a ton of knowledge to go along with a very interesting running journey. She was nice enough to share more insight and experience with us during this episode, and I hope you enjoy our discussion.

As we mentioned during the interview, you can register for the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team up until August 31, so don’t wait. Registration is available at www.RichmondMarathon.org, and that’s where you can also get all the information you need on the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, and VCU Health Richmond 8k, all taking place on November 12.

Until the next episode, thanks for tuning in!

Our guest on this episode of Sports Backers' On the Move podcast is Danny Docherty, an elite runner, a running coach, and just an all around running enthusiast. Danny shared more insight on his running journey, what he hopes to accomplish as an athlete and a coach, the importance of building running communities, and the Twin Cities rivalry between Minneapolis and his hometown of Saint Paul: Hint: for runners, it’s all about which city plows their streets better in the winter. Speaking of rivalries, we also spent some time on the Great American 5000 and his team’s friendly battles with Keira and Anthony D’Amato.

Thanks again to Danny for joining the podcast to share more on his experiences with running and coaching, and on the importance of building community through running. As he mentioned, he’s building towards the U.S. Marathon Road Championship at the California International Marathon in December, so be sure to follow him on Instagram at Danny.Doc to keep up with his running and coaching and to cheer him on. Until the next episode, thanks for tuning in!

This episode of 'On The Move' focuses on creating accessible adventure opportunities for people of all abilities and features a live recording of a recent panel discussion on that topic. The panel took place on May 18 and kicked off Dominion Energy Riverrock. A screening of the film ‘Adventure is for Everyone,’ took place before the panel, and was mentioned several times during the discussion. If you haven’t seen that film, which was produced by Beyond Boundaries, you should definitely check it out. Beyond Boundaries is a non-profit based in Richmond, specializing in guiding participants with disabilities, veterans, at risk youth, and recovery programs on outdoor adventures

The panel was led by Shep Roeper, a co-founder of Beyond Boundaries, and also featured Sally Wetzler, a river advocate, outdoor enthusiast, community volunteer and James River Outdoor Coalition board member, as well as Josh Sloan, the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at Sportable and an outdoor adventure adaptive athlete.

Shep, Sally, and Josh shared plenty of insight and first-hand experience on the topic of accessible adventure and it was a great conversation. So I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as everyone in the audience did.

Be sure to check out Beyond Boundaries, and their film ‘Adventure is for Everyone, at www.BeyondBoundariesRVA.org. For more info on Dominion Energy Riverrock’s Accessible Adventure discussion, visit www.RiverrockRVA.org.

Until next time, thanks for tuning in!