Extraordinary Strides

Redefining Golden Years: Carmen's Journey From College Runner to Senior Olympics Gold Medalist

• Christine Hetzel • Season 3 • Episode 12

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What does it take to rediscover a passion that you thought was lost forever? Meet Carmen, also known as Katina Hedges, whose journey from the heat of Mexico to the cold climates of Michigan in the U.S. serves as a testament to resilience and determination.

This episode of Extraordinary Strides chronicles Carmen's incredible path from a college runner to a gold medalist at the Michigan Senior Olympics, and her unwavering drive to compete in the 2025 Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa. Along the way, Carmen shares how a friend's simple invitation to run sparked a lifelong love for the sport, and how a charity walk for Parkinson's in 2015 reignited that flame after years of life's twists and turns.

Transitioning between countries and climates, Carmen initially used running as a stress reliever and found a supportive community that fueled her passion. We reminisce about a time when race invitations came by mail and running was free from the distractions of gadgets and social media. Even through life's hiatuses, including marriage and career changes, Carmen's story emphasizes the importance of perseverance and simplicity. Whether it's overcoming weight gain or navigating the changing landscape of modern running, Carmen's narrative is a powerful reminder of the persistent call to get back on track.

Carmen's journey is not merely about running; it's about the spirit of competition and personal growth. From qualifying for the Senior Olympics through social media discovery to setting records in race walking, her story is filled with mental and physical challenges that shape her resilience. At 65, she finds strength in pursuing bucket list goals, overcoming osteoarthritis, and even revisiting her passion for Hawaiian dancing.

Carmen's story is an inspiring call to never give up on your dreams, no matter the obstacles. Join us for an episode brimming with motivation, where Carmen's extraordinary strides encourage us all to take bold steps toward our ambitions.

Keep up with Carmen and walk toward your own health inspiration here. 

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Speaker 1:

Hey friends, welcome to Extraordinary Strides, where we celebrate ordinary people achieving extraordinary feats through running and movement. And I'm your host, coach Christine, and today we have a very special treat for you all. This guest embodies what it means to make every single stride count. Joining us today is Carmen, also known as Katina Hedges, a runner and mover and shaker, who started her journey back in college in Mexico, where a friend introduced her to the joy of running. And after she moved to the US in her late 20s, carmen became a powerhouse, running 640-minute mile pace just for fun. Just for fun and collecting medals along the way.

Speaker 1:

But, like many of us, life took her on a different path for a while, and it wasn't until 2015 that she laced up her shoes again, and this time it was for charity. She went out for a charity walk for Parkinson's, and that walk helped to reignite her passion for the sport, and she hasn't looked back since. And in 2016, carmen took her love for running to a new level by competing in the Michigan Senior Olympics, where she didn't just participate, she dominated, earning a gold medal in race walking. And you guys know that race walking, that's an intense sport, but Carmen is a record holder. She's a fierce competitor, with her sights set on the 2025 Nationals in Des Moines, iowa, after qualifying with medals in the mile and 5k events. She does this all with a smile and positivity and lots of support.

Speaker 1:

She is a testament to the power of resilience, dedication and the belief that it's never too late to chase our dreams. I can't wait to introduce you. So I have more that I can gush about her, but let's go ahead and let her come on so you guys can learn all about her. Carmen, it's an honor to have you here today, welcome.

Speaker 2:

Oh, thank you. Thank you for inviting me, Christine.

Speaker 1:

It inviting me. Christine, it's a pleasure to be here. Carmen, I got to tell you you are so humble I would never have known like you just kind of drop it in occasionally. Yeah, I have like the Olympics coming up or I'm doing this and it's like the rest of us are just it comes out of nowhere. But let's take it all the way back. So you were introduced to running earlier in life. Tell us what initially drew you to it.

Speaker 2:

Well, initially, a friend of mine, like you mentioned, in Mexico we were in college and we used to sit for long hours and at the time I wasn't that much into sports really and one day she just said, you know, you want to go running? And I thought, running where? So next thing, you know she's out there running. She would swing by and just knock on the door and go come on, let's go. And I put on a pair of shorts, t-shirt, out the door and she'd be way ahead of me and I'd just go OK, see ya. And she'd go no, no, keep going, let's go, let's go. So that started me with just getting out the door and running. And it wasn't until I left Mexico, after we, we finished college, that I came to the States and I found, wow, this is pretty nice, I can run pretty easy over here. And guess what I got into races. And next thing I knew I was getting medals nothing like they are today. But I thought, wow, where did that medal come from? And I didn't do too bad now, did I?

Speaker 1:

that is incredible. So I assume and I don't, I mean, mexico is a huge country, but I seem that you probably had some elevation, a lot, lot of heat, to deal with. So then, when you moved from there to Des Moines, did you move to Iowa directly? No, no, I moved to Michigan. I moved to Michigan. Okay, to Michigan. Okay, yeah, yeah, do you don't have kind of the same amount? You don't have the heat necessarily. I mean it gets hot, but nothing like what you experience. You don't have the elevation. So you really trained and you got your start in some of the hardest weather and the hardest conditions. So I think that leads just a friendly reminder for all of us who are thinking of throwing in the towel during summer If you keep pushing, it does pay off. So when did it click with you that not only do I enjoy this, but I'm actually pretty good at it, because six, I mean, your pacing is wicked fast, my friend.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, that was during my 20s, right, but still I thought, okay, if I can do a 640, I can do this, right, yeah? So I went to the gyms back here in Michigan. They were called Big Tanny, and at the time I wasn't really into it as much, it was really just a stress relief for me. But when I found out that people centered their lives around running around, working out, around doing all this, I thought, well, there could be some future for me here. You know, I thought okay.

Speaker 2:

So the next round, next round was like you would get a flyer in the mail, christine, and it'll tell you. It was a piece of paper actually saying would you like to join this race? You pay so much, send it in the mail and you're in. It wasn't nothing like today with the websites and the Facebooks and the social media. No, no, no. So I would get it in the mail and I couldn't wait to get my reply, you know. And then go and get. Then the medals were like little medals on a piece of ribbon and a little oval shape and I thought at the time wow, this almost feels like too easy, you know, like I shouldn't say too easy, but the reward was something that kept me going, so yeah, so let's take it back a little bit.

Speaker 1:

What are you wearing during these runs? Because, like you said, it's before GPS watches. Nobody's definitely checking in with Strava to make sure that you have the fastest known time or anything like that. So, one, how are you staying motivated? Two, tell me a little bit about what your typical gear and training day looked like back then.

Speaker 2:

Oh, back then it was just get out the door and run. There was no Gatorades, there was no drinks. In fact, I can tell you a fun story. When I moved to Michigan, I lived in Ann Arbor and, as you know, it's a university town and I lived right across from the university and I used to just head on out and come back. I didn't even have a following me closely and I'm looking over and I'm thinking, okay, I don't know this person and I don't know what he wants, but I'm gonna keep running. Next thing, you know, he's trying to pick me up. He's trying to ask me where I'm going, if I want to ride, and I'm looking at him like no, I'm running. And it was then that I realized you know what? I am a runner, I can run yeah, absolutely, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Because he never followed me. Thank goodness, Like they do now. But back then I thought what does he?

Speaker 1:

want? What does he want? Yeah, he just thought it was weird that you were out there on your like it wasn't something fascinating. I do want to say, though I kind of want to take it to the sometimes we do overcomplicate things and, as you said, there is a beauty to just get out the front door and go running. You don't necessarily need to worry about all of the details. Granted, I'm not saying that you guys should go out for your long runs without your hydration or your fueling, but sometimes oversimplify or overcomplicating it can definitely be a hindrance. So I'm very curious when you continue moving forward in this. You did take a little bit of a break.

Speaker 2:

Why? What happened was I met my husband and I was working full time. Now I used to then use running as a way of a workout or just to get out. Well, he wasn't into running, so to speak. In fact, there was a lot of travel and a lot of sitting down and a lot of moving around. I left the running and then the next thing I knew I was gaining weight. I went all the way up to maybe 160. And I thought, no, no, this isn't happening. You know, it's not helping. Of course, they take you out, they want you to, you know, eat and what have you. And I was like, no, no, no, I got to get back to running. So I did. I did that, one friend. So how long of a break did you take? So how long of a break did you take? What was it? 1988 till 2015.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. So in that time, did you miss it? Did you start? Because we're starting to see around? We've had a couple of running booms since then. So are you starting to see more people running the sports kind of changing around you? Is it calling to you, or is life so busy that you're not really seeing it as much? No, no, in fact.

Speaker 2:

I was looking at it and I was thinking you know I was doing pretty good, I felt great. You know I had to get back out there. And then, of course, you know, working Sometimes when you work full time you're not, you don't even have the time of day, much less. Oh, yeah, I'm going to get out there and run. No, so you know, we would go to the gym, we would work out, play racquetball, but nothing like the running that I was doing. Okay, Of course.

Speaker 1:

I get what you're saying. So, basically, you were still staying active, life was busy, but it just didn't give you the same sense of satisfaction that running did. Correct, okay, so 2015,. You decide I'm going to make my comeback. What's going through your mind here?

Speaker 2:

2015,. I was eager, I was just, you know, running was around and there was now social media, there was now nice medals, yeah, all these groups of people that were runners, and Facebook. And one day I look at Facebook and I see, well, there's a charity run. And a friend of ours said would you like to participate now that you're running? Because I would start out running just walking. And then I said, yeah, that'd be good, you know. And oh, is it for some reason? Is it for some event? Is it where? Is it at? No, no, no, this is just for charity. You would help us along, you know, help us raise money. We just want participants, somebody that is able to ready. Oh, yeah, I'm ready, I'm ready, okay, what distance? Well, okay, no problem, there we go.

Speaker 2:

So I started and I remember I was walking, christine, with the two of their daughters, who were twins, and of course, they were fast, they wanted to run, they wanted to see the house, they wanted to look around, and I'm like these kids aren't focusing. You know, they should be focusing on what they're doing, and I'm thinking it's all coming back to me now. You know, I can feel it. I can feel that passion and that drive and that gusto of just wanting to get out there and do it for the sake of doing it. You know, never mind a medal or anything.

Speaker 1:

So when you got back into it with the charity, did it feel different to you this time around? Because charity fundraising while you're training can be a little bit hectic. You have taken an extended time, so although you're active, it's still a different movement. Or did it feel very natural?

Speaker 2:

for you. It was a bit of both, because I felt for the friend of ours, you know, she was raising the money and she was wanting us to help her. And I felt for the sport because, like I said, I saw these other walkers, runners, and I thought there is something in the running, there is something in the running world that can help us, not just with one aspect, like charity in this case, but just overall. You know, I'm looking at myself and I'm thinking well, where'd all this weight come from? You know, it's about time we got back out there and did something. So, yes, in both cases I thought this could really inspire me to get back out there.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I'm inspired just listening to it. I want to go lace up and go for a run right now, but I'm very curious. So you come back in 2015, after the hiatus, you fall madly in love again. You're passionate about it. What made you decide? I think I can compete and I can make this competitive. Like where?

Speaker 2:

did that click for you? Well, because of the time that I was in, between the running and the gym and the workouts, there was one incident that stuck with me and I'll tell you this one gym. It was called Big Tannies at the time. I don't know if there's any around the world, but they had a competition and at the time, you know, I was in pretty good shape before I met my husband-in-law and I remember doing the competition and going up to the desk and asking them you know what were the results and they said, oh, so-and-so this, so-and-so that bench press, this, lift that. And I said, wait a minute, wait a minute, I did a better bench press than that. Oh, really. I said, yes, I did, in fact, look at your record there. I posted it, I wrote it down and they looked at it and they took the trophy from they'd given one of the employees and reached over and gave it to me and said Sheila, we beg your pardon, it is yours. You won it. I was like all right, I won a trophy.

Speaker 1:

Oh, carmen's competitive, Carmen's competitive, I'm hearing it Okay.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so it stuck in my mind. So when that call came about, help us, we need somebody, we need somebody to get out there. You like walking, you like working out, can you help us? Absolutely, I said I'm there. So I think that triggered in me the passion and the desire to get back out.

Speaker 1:

What made you decide I want to actually or did they come to you? Did like the Senior Olympics come to you and say, or did you have? How did that happen?

Speaker 2:

The Senior Olympics. Let me tell you again, with social media it was so much easier to get information out to people running etc. I saw one day on the phone Michigan Senior Olympics, do you want to join us? You know, for your health? And I thought, wow, is that a calling or what? So I went up there and the first medal I got okay was with the race walking, and I remember thinking I don't know anything about race walking but I can learn. So I went on the web, I looked up race walking, I looked up the rules and I would go outside the door you know I live in the condo now up and down the streets and don't run. The tendency is to run, don't run, keep walking. Next thing, I know I go over there to compete, I sign up and down the streets and don't run, the tendency is to run, don't run, keep walking. Next thing, I know I go over there to compete, I sign up. And, christine, when they first said my name and they said go, I was hooked.

Speaker 1:

It's so funny because, again, when you interacting with Carmen, virtually in the community, you're so sweet, you're so supportive and now I feel like if we were ever in a competition, you would blow me away and have no issues with it. So ever, cause there's a trophy waiting for you at the end. Let's talk a little bit about the senior Olympics, actually what it is. What does it take to participate in the senior Olympics?

Speaker 2:

Anyone that's 50 years of age on up Okay Wants to participate. There's, like I think I said to you one time, there was about 40 sports, but there's less than that between 20 and 25 and it goes in. It ranges in anything from archery to dancing, to golf, to running, to track and field. They even have cornhole, they have disco and you can participate. And there's two competitions every year there's the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics, and there's a fee for membership which keeps them going.

Speaker 2:

They have various sponsors around, especially if it's a state that holds it. The state would be like Michigan Senior Olympics or Indiana Senior Olympics, and then every two years you qualify for nationals. So this year I qualified for nationals, being in the One Mile, which is the first event, and I'm thrilled to say that I got in the record books because it's the first time that the Senior Olympics had the mile in their competition. So when I first heard again, I get chills. When I heard Christine, ok, let's see what are the results, you know, after we finish the race and they said my name, I was just blown away. I thought, wow, this is awesome. I can't believe it. And I made the record books, you know.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I love this. Okay, so now for folks that are listening, and maybe a lot of folks are probably familiar with run walk. But what's race walking, and how is that different than running or run walk?

Speaker 2:

Race walking has two conditions you have to always keep a foot on the ground, just like power walking, except you have to maintain knees straight, which is basically where you see that movement on the hips, where people look, they're exaggerating the movement because you have to keep the foot on the floor at all on the track or the road at all times, and they hold strict rules with the paddles, just like they do at the regular Olympics. If they see you lifting your foot or if they see you running, they'll give you a warning. And I don't know if you. I'm sure the olympics just went and I'm sure you saw when they would have a path right.

Speaker 2:

Well, they, they did that the first time and I'm thinking, wow, this is a bit stressful. I didn't think, I didn't think I'd get that and I kept looking at the guy because there was four different judges on the track. You know the 1500 meter and I remember thinking don't you pull that power on me, don't you pull that power on me. So, yes, that would be the main difference, in that you can do the distance, as long as you maintain that focus on the feet and the knees.

Speaker 1:

So was there a learning curve for you, because coming from running to racewalking, because I will tell you, when I see the racewalkers in my neighborhood or at our local races, it looks incredibly hard.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, there was a learning curve. In fact, when I look back now, my time isn't that good. It isn't as great as some of the records that now come in, but at the time I remember thinking, wow, I want to run. I don't want to be doing this movement, I want to run. Yeah, and that's why I was fortunate enough to get gold. I don't need to do anymore. Where is walking? Forget it, I'm going to go with life. Okay. But yes, it's quite challenging and, like you say, it's a full workout. It's a full workout, right.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I have to ask does it hurt? Because when I see those hip movements, girl, I think of this has to hurt.

Speaker 2:

No, no, no. In fact, you know what I was fortunate to when I was in Mexico, before I started running, with this friend. I was doing Hawaiian dancing and Tahitian dancing. So you loosen up the hip and in fact that's what motivated me, because I would think, oh, this is almost like Hawaiian dancing, but you're moving. That's what we're made of fun. But no, no, it's quite. Once you get the hang of it and any runner, I think, can do it it's almost like downshifting and slowing yourself down a little bit, but, yes, it's quite interesting.

Speaker 1:

I don't know if I agree with you. I have actually participated in local 5Ks where the race walkers have blown past me. I don't think they're slowing, they're not downshifting anything, but I do believe that it is definitely a different movement that they have to get used to. So we're here on the flip side, like we're here getting to hear all of the awesomeness. I'm curious in this process, like you said, it was challenging. It was a learning curve Did you have days where you doubted yourself? Did you have days where you thought why am I doing this? Or did you always pursue it from a place of positivity?

Speaker 2:

No, there were days when the weather, especially here in Michigan I've ran in snow, I've run in ice and I'm thinking, why am I doing this? Remember that? Why? Okay, yes, I did it, I do it. I want to stay in shape, I want to do this just because I can. But, yeah, there were many days when I would tell my husband, no, I don't want to go out. Forget it. No, no, what's this? Why torture myself if that was a word I can use because of all the surrounding. But then something in me kept me going, especially after competing the first year. But I thought, okay, if you did it one year, imagine what's left in you to do the next year. And then you would see people that were older and you think, wow, if they can do it, I can certainly do it. So that would keep me going. But, yes, there were days when, oh, I wouldn't even want to get out the door. I thought, what, why get out?

Speaker 1:

there. See, that's where now, because of all the technology we have, we can use excuses like I can't go out yet because I have to charge my GPS a little bit more. My GPS watch, exactly, exactly Back in the day. It was just you had to get out the front door, ok, so you're doubting yourself. You hit something very powerful and I want to roll it back and kind of have you expand on that a little bit. I think all of us throughout our training have why are we doing this? And you said that you did connect to something deeper. If you were to put words around what that something deeper is. What is your why? Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep striving for always improving in this sport?

Speaker 2:

When I first moved back to Mexico, I lived here in the States and I went to college, and in college I wasn't that sporty, in high school much less In fact. In high school I wanted to use the gym and I was so shy and I asked the coach any chance I can use the apparatus like for gymnastics and the floor? No, she said. What's more, you want to join the team so you can use it? And I was like no, no, I don't want to join the team, I just want to use the apparatus.

Speaker 2:

From there, christine, fast forward to when I moved to Mexico from high school, I felt like I was trapped, like I couldn't get out and do what I wanted to do. In Mexico. It's always been back then. Okay, you don't go out the door with shorts, you always wear long pants. You don't expose, so to speak. You know your physique.

Speaker 2:

In fact, I can tell you I would be walking down the street with a skirt on and there would be people whistling at me. One time I was so annoyed that I turned around and I told one guy that looked like he was ready to whistle. He hadn't whistled and I said don't you dare whistle at me. And from then on I thought you know what I can make a stand, I can do and wear what I want. Okay, no one's going to tell me what not to wear. So when I started running with this friend, I thought, okay, I remember back to when I was in high school and I was so shy I wasn't, I didn't even want to use that for as much as be on the team. Now I'm getting that confidence back, I'm getting prime, I'm getting my, my motive back that I want to get out there and I want to show myself that this is my why I don't need to be put down, I don't need to be depressed, I don't need to be overweight when I can get out there and do something about it.

Speaker 1:

That's my why. So you stepped into your power. I did Is what I'm hearing. Every single step is into your power. I love that. Okay, which, of course, the next natural conversation is what would you tell women who are hesitant that they haven't tapped into it? Maybe they are a little shy still, or fearful of looking silly, or feeling silly because we have a lot of people who are worried about getting started because what others are going to think of them?

Speaker 2:

There's no other way to start, but just take that first step. You have to get out there and do it. You know you can't find any more excuses. Just do it for you yourself and you. If you find that inner voice that says I can do this. I mean, we've gone through trainers like yourself, which are great trainers, coaches that help us, that motivate us. There's a lot of help out there that you can get. You just have to take that first initiative that says I can do this because I can. Okay, no matter, no matter your age.

Speaker 1:

That is so powerful. Okay, we talked a little bit about the maybe, the lows, the harder parts, and having to overcome them. Let's talk about all of your incredible highs because, like you said, you've got quite the hardware of gold medals assembled and you did qualify for nationals. So what is next for you, like, what is it that you really are on fire to do?

Speaker 2:

Well, this will be my third half marathon that I'm training for. The second one, I believe, was with charge running, and a lot of trainers helped me, including your Good Self. And the first one I remember thinking there's no way I'm going to do a half marathon, no way, it's too long. With this, if you name it, I had the excuses. Well, the third is the charm. I'm so thrilled and I'm so excited that I can just do it at 65, because I'll be 66 this year that I'm trained and I feel strong. I feel powerful, I feel confident and I think, never mind the time, never mind the medal, just the fact that you're still here and you can do it, because that that was my first bucket list item when I came to the States, when I moved in 85, and I was running. And I heard to the States when I moved in 85 and I was running and I heard about Detroit Free Press Marathon. Oh, I got to do that one day. Well, I'm doing the half.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so yes. So, friends, if you're not familiar with the Detroit Free Press, it is a really big event and what it's hailed for is that you actually get to run in both the US and Canada and back again. I believe that's for the half marathon course as well. It's on my bucket lists. It's an extraordinary event. You said that you've had this on your bucket list since 1985. So when I'm hearing that, how do you feel, knowing that right now you are making this happen from? Sometimes we decide that our bucket list doesn't happen right away, so we're just gonna put it in the back burner. Maybe we even think that it's not for us. What would you say to other individuals that maybe do have something that they were called to do 10, 15, 20, 30 plus years ago and now they're able to maybe make it happen?

Speaker 2:

It's never too late. I can tell you a story when I ran my second marathon and I told the pacers this has been on my bucket list. I was on the last hill and she was the pacer and she happened to pass me and she turned to me and said now you can take it off your bucket list. And I remember thinking that is so true, and that gave me the fuel for the last mile or two because, as you know the kind of tough streets here in Detroit, and I thought, yes, yes, I can do this, I can do this. So, yes, it's never, ever too late, Never, never.

Speaker 1:

What else do you have on this bucket list?

Speaker 2:

Well, as you know, the Michigan Senior Olympics has other events. They have the 200, which I don't. I've never run the 200. They have the 100. They have the 50. But those, as you know, take a lot more strength, they take a lot more power. It looks easy. I remember looking at older people and people my same age and thinking, oh yeah, that looks okay, I think I could do that. I was practicing. I remember with Coach Casey at the time when he was in charge, and I remember telling him you know, I'd like to do the 400, coach, and the 200. No, the 800, 408. He said you can do it. And I remember thinking it was an impossible task. At the time I thought there's no way. I'm used to the 5K, I'm used to the distance, you know it's totally different. And he said you can do it. You can do it, you can do it.

Speaker 1:

I mean, you did win the trophy for bench press, my friend. We know you've got strength, stamina and everything in between, and we know you have competitiveness. So is that kind of? Where your eye is leaning toward now is to get into the shorter but much faster distances?

Speaker 2:

Yes, and my knee is permitting because I have osteoarthritis, and I've been to two sessions of therapy, one two years ago and one I'm just finishing. So, yes, I'm thinking I don't know that this is too well, so I want to get to know it.

Speaker 1:

I love that. I love how you look at it as a new opportunity to kind of explore and I like how you're kind of almost coming at it from like a befriending it, Like hey, I haven't had a chance to meet you, let's give it a try and see what happens. So what are some of the things that you hear from folks in your circle? Are you hearing from them that they're amazed and awe? Do you hear a lot of? Oh, I wish I could do that.

Speaker 2:

No, no, in fact. That's why I want to go out there and hopefully inspire others, those people that you reach out, which is great because I see so many you know so many people having medical issues, so many people having physical issues that don't have to exist, if they get up there and do some sport and it's basically something that inspires them that they've done in the past or they'd like to try. You know, but most of my circle of friends it's either they're into something else altogether, they're not really into sports, maybe golfing, and my family is a little bit, but my mom was never into sports, my dad was into boxing.

Speaker 1:

So, yes, Okay, so maybe you got that love from him. Yeah, when you look back, what are you most proud of so far?

Speaker 2:

That I'm here, that I can talk about it. I mean, this was great. This was like a godsend to me when you said would you mind an interview? No, not at all, Because it speaks volumes of what people like yourself are out there doing. I'm really grateful that I've gotten to 65 and I hope to have more years ahead where I can reach some of these goals and bucket list items. But basically that that I was able to do it without really knowing that I had that in me until I did it.

Speaker 1:

I love that. So that kind of leads me to my next question is we all kind of want to leave the world a little bit of a better place. We all want to have a bit of a legacy. What would you say you want your legacy to be in the community, in the running and race walking community?

Speaker 2:

That, even though you do walk or you do run or you do any sport, no matter how much time you leave it, you can always pick it back up.

Speaker 1:

That's powerful. That's powerful because I think, specifically, if you guys look at the statistics, we see more so women tend to have to leave some of their hobbies and their passions maybe even sports and fitness for a while during those like really busy. You're raising a family, you have a career, so I love to hear that you're definitely letting people see and you're inspiring them that you can always come back, that once a runner, always a runner, and it's just lacing back up and getting back out there. So, as you continue to pursue your goals and you've got your Detroit Free Press coming up in October and of course Nationals is, and you've got your Detroit free press coming up in October and of course nationals is, and we've got these shorter distances, is there anything else that you want to share with us that you're you kind of have laying out there?

Speaker 2:

I thought about going back to Hawaiian dancing, because I've seen recently there's a new version of a mix between Hawaiian and Tahitian dance that's called Farapau, which is similar to what Shakira does in her videos. Okay, but not quite. But it requires a lot of knee work, so maybe, maybe I can, but that again, that would be definitely for fun.

Speaker 1:

No medals, no competitions just she says that now, but my friends, I saw her. Uh-uh, no, don't get it twisted. All she has to know is that there is a medal out there and I perceive that being very different. Now, while we are talking about this, you'd have started a website to continue inspiring. It is fully bilingual for both people who speak Spanish and English, which I think is very powerful, since we continue to see that there is such a large demographic of bilingual speakers and Latino community.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot more of, I feel like, a need of folks realizing that this is such a great way to have community, to have health, and also that we get better as we get older, because I think that a little bit of culturally for me, growing up, I remember my parents kind of almost being like aging themselves before they had to a little bit, because there was that whole respection of your elders, and now we're seeing like you don't have to, like you get better as you get older. So, friends, if you're curious and you want to keep in touch with Carmen or Katina and you want to have a little bit of exposure to race, walking and running, I'm going to make sure that that website is linked in episode notes and I want to ask you what does being extraordinary mean to you?

Speaker 2:

Being extraordinary means that you can do it and you get that little extra medal, that extra fuel.

Speaker 1:

See, see, guys, she's definitely going to take on this new form of dance just for that medal. She's telling us, no, she's definitely going to take on this new form of dance just for that medal. She's telling us no, but she's definitely motivated by that bling and I love you for that. All right, my friends, I have to tell you, carmen, I'm so grateful that you were willing to spend time and sharing your story. Please keep us in the loop. We want to support you and cheer you on as you go and tackle Detroit and nationals, and thank you so very much for joining.

Speaker 2:

Well, you're very welcome, christine, and I want to say to you keep up the good work. You inspire a lot of people, especially myself, I remember from previous connections and groups, and what you're doing is just awesome and I think it's great.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so, so much. Well, my friends, I want to let you know that I'm always inspired by Carmen. I hope that you most certainly are. Please do let her story inspire you to take your next step or stride towards your big, audacious goals, no matter where you are in your journey, remember it's always that little bit of extra that turns ordinary into extraordinary, and we're here to cheer you on every stride of the way. If you enjoyed today's episode turns ordinary into extraordinary, and we're here to cheer you on every stride of the way. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast on your favorite platform. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Extraordinary Strides Pod for more inspiration, community updates and behind the scenes content. And until next time, I'm going to ask you guys to keep running, make a little bit of race walking, keep shining and keep making those strides absolutely extraordinary.

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Christine Hetzel

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