Katie Visco is a rockstar.
From March to December 2009, she ran the 3,132 miles between Boston and San Diego. I met her in March of last year, a few weeks before she started her journey. She was exactly as she seems in the below video – a super happy, motivated, inspiring woman. But why on earth would you want to run across the US? Her goal with her trans-America run was threefold. First of all, it has been a longtime dream of hers to run across the country, and she knew the time was right for her to go for it. Plus, she wanted to serve as a source of inspiration to others that you can fulfill your dreams – if you run after them. Additionally, she was raising funds to support Girls on the Run, a group that “encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running.”
I love Katie’s heart and determination. She triumphed over so many daunting challenges: training for such an epic event, the logistics of staging a cross-country run, weather unpredictability and finding places to stay along the way. And even in the end, when her knee stubbornly refused to allow Katie to run, she persevered, and walked for the last 3 weeks.
And she’s not done yet! She’s retracing her steps back across the US (but in van this time!) and she’s working on a book. You can keep up with Katie on PaveYourLane.com. And as her web address alludes to, we all have the power to pave our own lane, blaze our own trail, and create a life that dazzles us. What legacy will you leave behind?
