Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Kelley-Henderson.
Hi Cheryl, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Eleven years ago, I started a connect group with my church. There were 7 ladies that joined me then. Initially, I just wanted to have some other ladies start running with me so I could remain accountable for running. As life often does, due to some health challenges, I knew that I needed to get myself moving again and I knew I would need accountability. So, in 2021, I started training for local runs and posted my journey on social media. My high school bestie Sondra Dockery who is an avid runner encouraged me to run with her and the group of ladies that she usually runs with. So my personal journey began. After deciding to do 1 half marathon a month for 8 months, someone else noticed my journey and commitment and suggested that I start a running group. The plan wasn’t to have a group. The plan was for me to get healthy. So, I took the advice of that lovely lady and created a flyer to see if anyone would join me on my runs. I also reached out to my bestie and said, “Hey girl, I need your help leading this group! She said, “sure thing!” and now we Co-lead Run 4our Life.
Well, in February 2022 13 ladies signed up to join the run group. We met up each week at Shelby Farm on Saturday mornings and began our journey as Run 4our Life. We trained together for local races and the original 13 completed the Great American River Run. In the GARR, several of the ladies completed their first 5K, 10K, and half marathon. At the end of the season, I thought we were finished! The ladies were like, okay Cheryl, What’s next! So, we got together and I realized that this was no longer just a run group. This was a movement. So I gathered those that emerged as leaders in the group and we began to strategize. Sondra and Tamika Hamer (one of our members) met at Starbucks and began crafting our mission, vision, and values. Our mission is We are a community of ladies that have decided running is not only a way to build physical health, we believe that running has the power to transform your mind and heart. We literally run for life.
What does the number 4 mean?
1. Running is a lifestyle.
2. Running allows you to breathe life into yourself and others.
3. Running is a gift you give yourself.
4. Running brings transformation.
While we are already living them out, we needed to qualify and specify them. That evening at Starbucks, an organization dedicated to getting ladies in a community to build healthy habits and enjoy running began! In the fall of 2022, we grew from 13 members to 37 members. Because of my background in education and administration, I knew one essential component of Run 4our Life would be educating ladies on all components of running. As a result, not only did we create accessible running/walking plans for all levels of running and all distances, but we also hosted workshops and clinics to improve overall health. In the Fall we hosted a goal-setting workshop, this allowed ladies to set a SMART goal on their journey to running and health. The turnout was amazing. As a follow-up, each attendee received a monthly accountability survey to see where they were and if they needed additional support. We ran the following races: Chic-Fil-A 5K; Eliza Fletcher memorial run; Chris Hope 5K/10K; Hungry Turkey 5K and we had ladies participate in all distances for the St. Jude Marathon Weekend. Three of us (that means me too) ran our very first full marathon! We are now in our third season and we currently have 64 ladies that have committed to learning and growing with Run 4our Life this season.
We primarily use social media to share our journey. Many ladies have friends and family members that have seen the progress and now they want to experience this amazing community of women improving their health! Not only do we run or walk, but I also believe in supporting other runners. One thing that we commit to is volunteering at (at least) one run per season. Last year, we volunteer at the Forest Spence 5K. It was such a powerful experience as many ladies had never volunteered at a race. We believe that it is essential that you run your race at your own pace AND that you cheer on others along the way. This year, we will be volunteering at the Memphis in May Triathlon! We do hope that this will motivate some ladies to aim at doing a Triathlon in the near future as Coach Sondra and I did our first Triathlon together! The season officially launches on Saturday, March 4th! We can’t wait!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had no idea how much work it would take to build a non-profit. That was definitely our biggest challenge. My background is in education where I taught and was an assistant principal. For 26 years, my career has been in education. So I knew my first step was to get educated because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to do this alone. My husband Kelly Henderson is my greatest resource! His support and business background got me on the right track.
I also have an executive assistant who is amazing Christyn Smith. We put our heads together and began researching and attending classes to ensure we were off to a great start. I also met with several non-profit leaders to glean information from them as well. Then we had to establish a board of directors and complete all the steps to become an official non-profit. That indeed was our largest struggle. Our next challenge is gathering supporters that will sponsor needs for weekend runs. We need grant funding and resources so that we can make our weekend runs create a simulation of race experiences – with water, refueling, nutrition and hydration as well as post-race refreshments to begin to teach our novice runners and walkers about proper nutrition before experiencing a true race setting. I’m sure funding is a common challenge for most non-profits.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently a curriculum writer and professional development provider (during the day)! I have spent the majority of my career as an educator. My roles have all affectionately been “coaching” roles. So leadership is my specialty. As the Executive Director of Run 4our Life, I have the opportunity to do all the things that make me who I am: I educate by offering high-quality clinics and workshops for all ladies that are a part of Run 4our Life. I also connected the ladies to the many resources for health, wellness, and running to ensure that all that is learned is transferrable and applicable to not only running but living a life of health and wellness. I foster community but model the way for the ladies. I share my workouts publicly and authentically and encourage the ladies to do the same. I also look for opportunities and other coaches who are much more experienced than I am to bring them to the Run 4our Life ladies to learn and glean best practices and habits to achieve their personal goals. I am most proud of building an organization where ladies feel supported, challenged, and encouraged. There is something special about the Run 4our Life community.
We have three mindsets that we embrace – me versus me – which minimizes comparison. We also believe “you run your race at your pace”. That way your focus is on you owning your zone and moving forward at a logical cadence for your life. And lastly, we literally Run 4our Life! We are running (or walking) for total health. Several ladies started the group with no real workout plan or commitment. Many were never runners. Now we have several ladies that have completed first-time 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and full marathons. I will never forget seeing my Run 4our Life ladies waiting for me at the finish line! They were lined up and yelling my name! It was my first full marathon and they saw me through to the finish! I modeled vulnerability and consistency and each lady is building that same mindset.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The advice I would give for those starting out with running, come join Run 4our Life! We specialize in getting anyone open to running started. We use the Galloway method of interval running to get beginners started. That’s where the elementary teacher in me surfaces. The next bit of advice for someone wanting to start anything – get educated. Don’t just trust what you know or the experiences of others, intentionally find a coach. I was able to glean so much wisdom from my bestie who is an avid runner.
I know I needed a partner that had unique contributions and experiences to move Run 4our Life forward. So add to that, know your areas of opportunity, and find someone that can fill those gaps. Lastly, embrace the process. There will be ups and downs, be intentional with who you invite along the journey. Get the right people on the “bus” and move forward.
Pricing:
- To be a member of Run 4our Life there is a $40 membership fee each season. There is a discounted rate for returners plus additional incentives for those who return.
- We are looking for donors and those to help create the “race simulation experience” for all of our weekend runs. We would love any donations and those who would like to be monthly donors.
- Lastly, we are launching our first initiative MoSAIK (Mom’s of school-aged and inquisitive kids) to help moms with small children build their at home personal gym. We have researched and found that many moms have barriers to building their health and wellness during this season of small children. We want to partner with them and remove the barrier and provide access and resources to workout from the comfort of their own home. The total for the home gym starter kit is $50 per mom. We would love to resource 30 moms this season. This means we are in need of $1500 to fund this project.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/run4our_life?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/547707943477003
- Other: https://instagram.com/dr_cherylkelleyhenderson?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Brittany Brooks, Casey Chatman, Charlise Woodson, Cheryl Kelley-Henderson, Eula Taliaferro, Faye Pulliam, Genniece Bennett, Gwen Williams, Jacqueline Osby, Kathalene Taylor-White, Kelly Henderson, Kenniece Bennett, Krystal O’Nea,l Linda Kelley-Martin, Lindsey Clark, Marlencia Walker, Pamela Williams, Sandra Hoof, Sherry Lowe, Sondra Dockery, Tamika Hamer, Taureaun Harris, Tia Burnett, Toneka Cole, Toria Brown, and Wendy Hannah
