Garth Reid

1. Where do you currently live? – Philly
2. How long have you been involved with Achilles Philadelphia? – July 2012
3. How did you find out about Achilles International? While working at Cigna Melissa Wilcox convinced me to run as a guide for Hope and Possibilities in 2012. Been hooked ever since.
4. When did running become a part of your life? I started running in 2011. I was overweight and needed to improve my health. Still remember the first time I ran 2 miles and what an accomplishment that was at the time.
5. What do you gain from running? I think the mental benefits outweigh the physical. Getting out on a trail for an hour or two clears my head better than anything else
6. What is your favorite distance to run? Anything over 10 miles. If I got something rattling around between my ears, it almost always gets worked out with a minimum of 10 miles
7. What is your most significant accomplishment to date? Sub 4-hour marathon (New Jersey 2016)
8. Who/what is your biggest inspiration? Anybody who takes what appears to be a disadvantage and turns it into an opportunity
9. What quality best describes your personality? Empathetic
10. What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time? Recently I’ve formed a borderline unhealthy obsession with golf.
11. Do you have a favorite quote? You don’t know what you can’t do.
12. What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter? (don’t be modest!!) While not the fastest, I’m willing to run in pretty much any weather, with any athlete. I do my best to make sure we have fun an laugh on our runs, while always placing the safety of my athlete first above all else.
13. What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts? Shared grit and determination with guides and athletes. That and Bruce Linsky’s puppies.
14. If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Achilles Philadelphia what would it be? If you do this thing with your heart, you’re going to get so much more out of it than you put in. I guarantee.

Name

Stacy Rosenthal

Where do you currently live?

Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

How long have you been involved with Achilles Philadelphia?

Since the summer of 2015

How did you find out about Achilles International?

Running buddy and husband, Philly Achilles athlete Mark McCowan

When did running become a part of your life?

Although I dabbled in running in college and shortly after, it was not until I literally ran into a childhood friend on May 5, 2013 (ironically, I would later find out that Cinco de Mayo is Mark’s birthday  AND I joined the winter series through which I met Mark because this friend also joined…it was meant to be!!!) when I was just beginning my first long run that it became a part of my life. Now I do not know what I would do without it!

What do you gain from running?

There is the obvious, that it helps keep me in shape. Although lately, I convince myself that I can eat whatever I want since I am running so much, and that is not the case!!! Next, running has become a big part of my social life. I have reconnected with old friends and made many new ones. Lastly, I have become a better person through running, especially through my involvement with Philly Achilles! The feeling that I experience crossing the finish line with one of my disabled peers is exhilarating.

What is your favorite distance to run?

10K, but trying to run a marathon in every state

What is your most significant accomplishment to date?

Completing a full marathon

Who/what is your biggest inspiration?

My mom and Mark

What quality best describes your personality?

Reserved, yet giving

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your spare time?

Play & watch sports, read, travel, take photos

Do you have a favorite quote?

“Whatever you can do or feel you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it!”

~Johann von Goethe

What strength do you bring to the Achilles Philly chapter?

Wow! I get so much from my Philly Achilles family that I hope they can say the same about me!

From helping to plan some of our chapter events to my willingness to guide any athlete, I contribute wherever I see a need!

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts?

The athletes – They are so inspiring! Each and every one of them defines what it means to overcome.

Whether they were born with their illness or their disability occurred later in life, they learned not to let it stop them from living.

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about

Achilles Philadelphia what would it be?

Come on out!

To the athletes – we welcome everyone regardless of current fitness level and goals. Please know that there will ALWAYS be a volunteer to workout with you! Never feel like you are inconveniencing us or holding us back, as we are there to help you out because we want to be there, not because someone made us be there!

To the volunteers – this is a great way for you to give back to the community and have fun doing it!

Whether you want to walk, run, ride, or lift weights, there is an athlete waiting for you! Do not think you are not good enough or you would not know what to do! We will help you learn what you need to know!

Name: Megan Murphy

Where do you currently live? Parkside, West Philadelphia

How long have you been involved with Philly Achilles? April of 2015… only a short time, but I’ve been aware of the community for a while!

How did you find out about Philly Achilles? I’m an EMT and am highly interested in health and safety for urban athletes- for myself and for others, in both racing and training! I’d been looking for a way to use my training to serve others. My future husband and “faster half,” David Bernstein, took up my friends’ Rodney, John, Meghan and Hal’s invitation to run with Achilles a bit before I did; once DB started, I couldn’t stay away!

When did running become a part of your life? I’ve always been game to play and sweat, but I started training and road racing in late 2007/early 2008.

What do you gain from running? The satisfaction of a job well done (which feels suspiciously like pleasantly heavy legs, a perpetually hungry belly and a quiet but happy mind).

What is your favorite distance to run? 10 miles!

What is your most significant accomplishment to date? It’s not my fastest and fanciest time in a race to date, but this is far and away “my proudest PR”: completing the Miami Half Marathon 2015 in 1:59:33 three and a half months after breaking my leg and not being able to run at all! Learning to safely recover from injury and stay sane, strong and smiling from the sidelines has challenged me in ways I did not expect. What happened up to, on and since that day in Miami has made me a better runner and a better person.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration? My Bernese mountain dog, Dexter “Big Essie.” He is always smiling, he’s always got love and if you’re asking him, everything is always awesome.

What quality best describes your personality? Watchfulness

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your free time? I read, run with shelter dogs through The Monster Milers, meditate, cook vegan food, do deck workouts and listen to rap music!

Do you have a favorite quote? “I spoke to a man down at the tracks, and I asked him how he don’t go mad / He said, ‘look here, junior- don’t you be so happy, and for heaven’s sake, don’t you be so sad'” – Television, “Marquee Moon”

What strength do you bring to the Philly Achilles chapter? It’s all in the hugs and high-fives.

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts? The community, and the welcome challenge of helping others stay safe as they lace up, swing out and put the work in!

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Philadelphia Achilles what would it be? It’s about the athletes: as volunteer guides we’re not coaching or training so much as we are holding a safe space (environmentally and socially) for our athletes to push themselves and let their best efforts shine.

Name: David Lee Bernstein

Where do you currently live? West Philadelphia

How long have you been involved with Philly Achilles? March of 2015 and show up mostly every week.

How did you find out about Philly Achilles? I had always seen the green shirts at races, and thought the name was cool. Then my fantastic future wife told me what Achilles was all about, and that a lot of my friends were doing it. I came there one day, and it was absolutely fantastic. IS absolutely fantastic.

When did running become a part of your life? I’ve always sort of been a runner, since the day I was pissed at getting 3rd in the 50 yard dash in 3rd grade. I started running competitively in high school, ran track for a year of college, and have been road racing ever since. Ran my first marathon at the age of 22, and have ran 5 total in my life.

What do you gain from running? Exercise. Stress relief. My time to rock out to all the metal in the world. 95% of my social life in Philly. Amazing experiences. Wonderful people. The chance to feel like a P-I-M-P.

What is your favorite distance to run? In terms of racing, probably the 10 miler. It’s comfortably hard and you can keep pushing but not die. In terms of just running, it really varies. If I have run for a full hour, its usually been a good run!

What is your most significant accomplishment to date? Running the Franklin field bleachers in 21 minutes and change.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration? I am inspired by my parents, my amazing future wife, and George S. Patton.

What quality best describes your personality? I bust my ass. And I hug a lot. I have a high setting, a low setting, but no medium setting.

What do you do for fun or a hobby in your free time? I wish I still played my guitar. Mostly I play with my dog, read nonfiction stuff about war, or watch Game of Thrones. And I love to drink beer.

Do you have a favorite quote? “I suppose if we couldn’t laugh at things that didn’t make sense, we couldn’t react to a lot of life.” –Calvin and Hobbes

What strength do you bring to the Philly Achilles chapter? I am always down to guide or help, and do my best to come with a big ol’ smile. Basically, I want to contribute to the awesomeness that is already there, and hope that others enjoy having me there too.

What motivates you to keep coming back to the chapter workouts? It’s a great chance to help out and give back to a sport that’s given me so much. I have had tremendous fun running with different people, and now I get stoked whenever I see one of our athletes going for an awesome goal. For instance, Chris Lynch is now 33 seconds away from breaking 2 hours for the half. Running for others rather than yourself is an amazing feeling, and it stops me from fixating on myself all the time. Achilles is amazing!

If you were speaking to a prospective volunteer or athlete and could only convey one thing about Philadelphia Achilles what would it be?  It’s pretty much the most fun you can legally have on a Saturday morning.  No, but seriously, Achilles shows how much fun giving can be.