Name
Matt Shannon

Where do you currently live?
Center City

When did you start getting involved with Achilles Philadelphia?
In 2012

How did you find out about Achilles International?
I Googled ways to get involved with charity organizations through running

When did running become a part of your life?
I ran cross country in high school

What do you gain from running?
I run to de-stress and remove myself from the hustle and bustle of life. Running with no phone or music helps me take a break and think.

What is your favorite distance to run?
5k

What is your most significant accomplishment to date?
18:06 5k

Who/what is your biggest inspiration?
My parents, showing me how to live a good life and for supporting me in all my endeavors.

What quality best describes your personality?
Tenacity

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time?
Run, bike, swim

Do you have a favorite quote?
“The only person I have to be better than is the person I was yesterday”

What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter? (don’t be modest!!)
Being able to run with the majority of athletes at their respective paces and distances.

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts?
The genuine appreciation that the athletes have for everyone involved, from guides to fellow athletes to supporters.

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Achilles Philadelphia what would it be?
A genuine willingness to help our athletes achieve their goals.

Name
 Rodney Russen

 

Where do you currently live?
Collingswood, NJ

How long have you been involved with Achilles Philadelphia?
Since day 1 in September of 2012

How did you find out about Achilles International?
Running buddy/Philly Achilles President Melissa Wilcox

When did running become a part of your life?
When running went to a new level was my first half marathon at the PDR (Philadelphia Distance Run) in 1997.

What do you gain from running?
It used to be for fitness and stress relief but has since become an unexpected form of camaraderie.

What is your favorite distance to run?
I really like the diversity in my running.  I have finished almost 150 races from 5k to 50 milers on streets and trails.  Training for all of that keeps things very interesting.  To answer the question, my favorite distance to run is the next distance I am running.

What is your most significant accomplishment to date?
Getting my BQ and running the Boston Marathon in 2011 felt really good but better yet would be when running with Kinzey Lynch and helping him with his form one day and being able to get him to run on West River Dr without a tether for the first time.  Still cannot believe how amazing that was.

Who/what is your biggest inspiration?
No one is perfect but we can all be better.

What quality best describes your personality?
I would rather have others answer that.

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time?
What do you have in mind?  I’m up for most anything – golf, basketball, climbing, make beer, drink beer, stand up paddleboard, surf, biking, taking the dog out, being the fun uncle, yoga, going to live music, watching classic movies, traveling, etc., etc..  I love being active and when I am not I hope to be gaining some kind of culture.

Do you have a favorite quote?
“We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.” ~Charles Bukowski

What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter?
I try to make everyone feel welcome and accommodated.  Most importantly, I want everyone to be safe as they get in their workouts.  While we are at it, I hope we have some fun, too.  People say to me often about how it’s great that I am “giving back to the community” or “paying it forward.”  That’s not at all why I am there.

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts?
No motivation needed.  I just don’t want to miss it.

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Achilles Philadelphia what would it be?
I’ve been fortunate enough to join in with Achilles in Philadelphia, New York, Orlando, Chicago, Denver, Nashville and Toronto.  Narrowing all of that down to one thing is very difficult.  If I were to try, I would have to say to the potential athlete that achieving a goal and to the volunteer that helping someone achieve that goal is always special.  Be it a walk around the block or running a marathon.

Name
Stephanie Cully

Where do you currently live?
Marlton, NJ

When did you start getting involved with Achilles Philadelphia?
In 2012

How did you find out about Achilles International?
I found out through my husband who works at Cigna

When did running become a part of your life?
5 years ago

What do you gain from running?
I love the feeling of accomplishment after a great run and I love running to stay healthy and in shape.

What is your favorite distance to run?
My favorite is 10 miles.

What is your most significant accomplishment to date?
Running 17 miles for a training run with my Achilles athlete, Mark.

Who/what is your biggest inspiration?
 My biggest inspiration for running is Mark, my athlete. He has an incredibly positive attitude which makes running fun and he inspires me to keep pushing myself and him to improve.

What quality best describes your personality?
My best quality is persistence. If I don’t reach my goals the first time, I keep pushing myself until I get there. This applies to running, work and my personal life.

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time?
I love to do yoga, rock climb and go to the beach in addition to running.

Do you have a favorite quote?
Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring. -St. Catherine of Siena

What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter? (don’t be modest!!)
My strength is my ability to “bull dose” during a race. I’m pretty good at tapping people and asking them to slide to the side to make a path for my runner. This is important because it makes it less likely for my athlete to trip and easier for them to obtain their goal time.

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts?
I am motivated to come every week because of the athletes and volunteers. I look forward to seeing all of the members before a workout and enjoy the fun workouts I have with those in my pace group.

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Achilles Philadelphia what would it be?
I would tell any prospective volunteer that Achilles has become my second family and that’s a big reason that it’s so enjoyable. We all support each other, have fun and push one another to do our best.