Meet Christie L! Today we have for you the founding story of Stroller Warriors® Fort Riley!
Stroller Warriors® Fort Riley was founded by Christie L. and we are so grateful that she did! After only 6 months of running with the Stroller Warriors in Monterrey, CA her husband received unexpected orders to Kansas!
We will let her share her story in her own words...
By: Christie L.
I first heard about Stroller Warriors® when my soldier was stationed at the Language School in Monterey, CA. At that point in my life, I had only been running for about a year. I had started running to help encourage my husband in his running as he was preparing to leave for basic training. So not only was I new to running, I was also new to the military life. I was 32 with 3 kids and 13 years of marriage behind me.
Leaving our home in South Carolina after 13 years is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. California might as well have been a foreign country. I was lonely, missing home, family, friends, and all things familiar. Finding Stroller Warriors® Monterey was a life saver for me! I never realized that running could be a “team” sport and was intrigued by their mission and loved that it was for military spouses, i.e. people like me!
Stroller Warriors® Fort Riley was founded by Christie L. and we are so grateful that she did! After only 6 months of running with the Stroller Warriors in Monterrey, CA her husband received unexpected orders to Kansas!
We will let her share her story in her own words...
By: Christie L.
I first heard about Stroller Warriors® when my soldier was stationed at the Language School in Monterey, CA. At that point in my life, I had only been running for about a year. I had started running to help encourage my husband in his running as he was preparing to leave for basic training. So not only was I new to running, I was also new to the military life. I was 32 with 3 kids and 13 years of marriage behind me.
Leaving our home in South Carolina after 13 years is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. California might as well have been a foreign country. I was lonely, missing home, family, friends, and all things familiar. Finding Stroller Warriors® Monterey was a life saver for me! I never realized that running could be a “team” sport and was intrigued by their mission and loved that it was for military spouses, i.e. people like me!
Christie running the NPS 5k in Monterey, CA My first workout was not the shining moment I hoped it would be! I am not by nature an outgoing person, so just showing up was very hard for me. At this point, I hadn’t run more than a handful of times in the months leading up to our move and arriving in Monterey. There were HILLS (I’m from FLAT Coastal Carolina), I did not have a stroller, I got lost on the trail (totally my fault), started having knee pain, and didn’t stay for the post run workout. To say I was discouraged was an understatement. But I made myself go back. I don’t remember my second workout, but it must have been better because I kept going! I met some wonderful ladies, bought a jogging stroller, joined C25k, and ran my first ever 5k race with the C25k group. I was hooked!
We unexpectedly got orders to Fort Riley, KS after only 6 months in Monterey. The first thing I checked was whether they had a chapter there. The second thing I did was talk to Virginia Martinez and Kelly Mulder how to go about starting a chapter! They pointed me to the global page and encouraged me to get settled then fill out an application.
We PCS’d to Fort Riley in Oct-Nov of 2015 and arrived just in time for a rude awakening to Kansas winter: below freezing temps, ice, snow, and WIND! Needless to say, I did NOT run at all during our first winter here! I knew I wanted to start a chapter here and I strongly believed in the SW mission and wanted to help and encourage military spouses like I had been in Monterey. I also knew that I was going to have to brave the cold weather, get out there and get running before I did!! I started the C25k app for the second time and with the encouragement of a friend, signed up for my first ever paid race! I felt like I was ready to get moving on starting a chapter here.
We unexpectedly got orders to Fort Riley, KS after only 6 months in Monterey. The first thing I checked was whether they had a chapter there. The second thing I did was talk to Virginia Martinez and Kelly Mulder how to go about starting a chapter! They pointed me to the global page and encouraged me to get settled then fill out an application.
We PCS’d to Fort Riley in Oct-Nov of 2015 and arrived just in time for a rude awakening to Kansas winter: below freezing temps, ice, snow, and WIND! Needless to say, I did NOT run at all during our first winter here! I knew I wanted to start a chapter here and I strongly believed in the SW mission and wanted to help and encourage military spouses like I had been in Monterey. I also knew that I was going to have to brave the cold weather, get out there and get running before I did!! I started the C25k app for the second time and with the encouragement of a friend, signed up for my first ever paid race! I felt like I was ready to get moving on starting a chapter here.
SW Fort Riley's FIRST Workout! October 18, 2016 When I reached out to Kelly again, I found out that HQ was on break from starting any new chapters but would pick up again in the fall. During the late spring and summer of 2016, with the company of a couple runner friends, I kept up with my running and trained for my first 10k. I worked on my application for Stroller Warriors® and also started preparing for my husband’s 1st deployment to Korea.
It was a very busy and emotionally crazy time for us, but I knew I wanted to see this through and bring Stroller Warriors® to Fort Riley. I submitted my application, waited on pins and needles for the Skype interview and to hear whether or not this was going to become a reality. All of us coordinators know how much work on our end and HQ’s end goes into starting a new chapter. It’s hard, overwhelming, and scary all at the same time. But Stephanie and the staff have it down to a science on launching new chapters and even though it was nerve wracking, I felt prepared to start this venture.
It was a very busy and emotionally crazy time for us, but I knew I wanted to see this through and bring Stroller Warriors® to Fort Riley. I submitted my application, waited on pins and needles for the Skype interview and to hear whether or not this was going to become a reality. All of us coordinators know how much work on our end and HQ’s end goes into starting a new chapter. It’s hard, overwhelming, and scary all at the same time. But Stephanie and the staff have it down to a science on launching new chapters and even though it was nerve wracking, I felt prepared to start this venture.
SW Fort Riley's First C25K Graduation Race March 20, 2017 We said “see ya later” to my husband on October 15 and our inaugural workout was October 18, 2016. We had 14 in attendance and beautiful weather. I left feeling happy and encouraged that once again, Stroller Warriors was there for me during a significant upheaval in my life. I was able to make it through our first deployment, found amazing new running friends, and discovered a whole new level of love for running!
SW Fort Riley's First PFT October 17, 2017
WNO - Warrior Night Out! Being a coordinator for this club has grown me in ways I never imagined. I thought I knew a lot about running and fitness when we started, but I have learned so much more since then and know there is so much that I could still learn! Most of all, I am just so thankful for the opportunity to help other military spouses in the same way that I was helped. To not just survive the military life but thrive!
Thank you from BG Frank! Thank you so much Christie for sharing your founding story with us!
If you’re a Chapter Founder and would like your story featured please email me at paige.swglobal@gmail.com! We would love to have this for ALL of our chapters!
If you’re interested in founding a chapter and bringing Stroller Warriors to your location, please follow these instructions.
If you’re a Chapter Founder and would like your story featured please email me at paige.swglobal@gmail.com! We would love to have this for ALL of our chapters!
If you’re interested in founding a chapter and bringing Stroller Warriors to your location, please follow these instructions.
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