Episode 7: Peace Corps Running Stories:

Episode 7: Peace Corps Running Stories: Listen to Podcast Episode

Join us in this week's episode as we journey across the globe with four unique 10-15 minute vignettes of exploration, new beginnings and service; running stories from rural villages to urban running clubs, each Peace Corps volunteer takes us on a journey of what it's like to be immersed in another culture, as both a PC volunteer and a runner.  These inspiring stories showcase both what running brought to their community, as well as what they brought back with them from these experiences abroad, in "making us who we are today, we discover we received far more than we could ever give".- Mark Lane-Holbert

Running the 13.1 !

Kelli Maddock- Fijiian Islands (Fiji mainland)- Women's and Youth development, TEFL Education volunteer in a secondary school. Using music therapy to work with teens in her village, she approached difficult topics such as reproductive health and developing empathy, crossing gender boundaries. She explains how "island time and bamboo hut living" led her to open up and find the opportunity to run, and share running/foster self confidence building with young people from her Fijian village while training for a half marathon. Click to read more on her service at Kelli's blog.

Daily Work in Fiji: Nasikwaw Vision College secondary school

Running through Guatemalan Highlands, Dog in Tow

Cristian Cedacero (Guatemala) reflects on his running in the western Guatemalan highlands, to neighboring villages and cities. He served with a federal "healthy schools" program, helping 17 schools in the Guatemalan municipality to make sure kids have access to clean water, proper nutrition and safe hygiene. He also walked to smaller communities to conduct reading groups and play sports on the weekend, and created summer leadership camps for youth. Through a Service-Learning grant, he also helped bring US student service groups to serve in Guatemalan communities. He lastly gives his impressions about what causes Guatemalan and other central Americans to leave their homes. He shares with us useful phrases: "Fijese que" (pay attention now) and "Refraccion" (snack time)!

Handwashing, Hygiene Education with Rural Youth

What my Saturday reading group looked like (Pre-sports)

Cristian's ACLI Race Link from the Podcast:

Sarah Bruyee (Central Africa, Gabon) served in french speaking west coast African country of Gabon.  Her assignment was TEFL (English teaching) in a true crossroads city of Labarene, in contact with people of 52 different languages and ethnic groups.  Her running journey began in New York City on the Hudson, which paralleled running along the Ogooue river in Gabon.  She tells of how she became both a running and a animal welfare/friendship ambassador, spreading the joy of running through humor.  She is currently a freelance editor and has served many years with the African journal of writing: Transition Magazine (left).  https://www.facebook.com/Transition.Magazine/

 Sarah's Classe de Cinquième in Gabon

S. Twing Logsdon was in stationed in the Dominican Republic (D.R.), but worked with primarily with Haitian migrants in a rural sugar cane plantation area. She served in "youth, family, community development" and was assigned to do environmental education in a community without electricity, developing solar-powered resources, to provide consistent energy for library and after school programs. She learned culture and cooking, but shared so much as well; chief among those being the joy of running. She actually started distance running during the Peace Corps as the most consistent part of her life was running during service, providing so much to reflect upon; combining an attitude of perseverance with the spirit of "para adelante" (keep going forward)!

Medical Missions with "Volunteer Health Program"

Link to Twing's yearly Medical Mission organization in D.R.- http://www.volunteerhealthprogram.com