February 19, 2022

Sonia Samuels w/Jae Gruenke: Olympian Rediscovers (Pain-Free) Form

48 minutes

This is the running story of UK marathon Olympian Sonia Samuels. We follow her journey from its beginning, and go into detail about how she returned to running pain-free and with great enthusiasm after a long bout with injuries and burnout. A critical part of Sonia's recovery journey was the work she did with Jae Gruenke, a running form expert and Feldenkrais practitioner who founded The Balanced Runner. We hear from both women about the transformative process Sonia experienced to return to her passion for running.

Sonia discovered her love of running at an early age, and it led her to the biggest stages of sport. But after reaching the peak of competition, in her late 30s, she found herself nursing multiple injuries and feeling burnt out. Then, she was introduced to Jae Gruenke. In this episode we hear Sonia tell her running story, and we hear from both Sonia and Jae about the work they've done together to return Sonia to pain-free, fluid, and fast running.

Sonia and Jae share detailed insights from both sides of the form rehabilitation process. This highlights Jae's approach to helping athletes develop their running skill, and return to smooth, efficient running form, from the inside out. Her method leads runners to getting deeply in touch with their own bodies and discovering how to move with ease.

At 42, and having given birth to her first child October 2020, Sonia is running, and racing, strong.

Ways to follow Sonia Samuels

Learn more about Sonia Samuels on her website.

Follow Sonia on Instagram: @soniajsamuels

Ways to follow Jae Gruenke of The Balanced Runner

Learn more about Jae Gruenke and The Balanced Runner on the website.

Follow The Balanced Runner on YouTube.

Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories

Instagram: @womensrunningstories

Twitter: @WomenRunStories

Website: womensrunningstories.com

Email host Cherie: [email protected]