34 min listen
Verna Volker: A Journey of Health and Healing, Culture and Community
Verna Volker: A Journey of Health and Healing, Culture and Community
ratings:
Length:
35 minutes
Released:
Nov 3, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Verna Volker first started running as a way to improve her health. Over time, however, her relationship to the sport has grown and changed, to become a more personal and powerful part of her life. She started out pursuing road marathons and then moved to the trails, stretching her limits in ultra trail running. As her journey has evolved, so have her motivations.
This is a story about how Volker has shaped her running journey to best serve her, her family, and her community.
As she got more involved in running, Volker, a Navaho woman, noticed the absence of stories and experiences of other Native women in the media and online. She decided to help change that by launching Native Women Running, to highlight those experiences and also to support and create community and running opportunities for women like herself.
Volker's running pursuits have also brought her closer to her own ancestry; running is integral to Navaho culture. This was something Volker had known throughout her life, but she hadn't felt that connection until experiencing the sport for herself in adulthood; she is now passing that lived knowledge on to her children. In hand, Volker has also discovered the healing powers of running, which have helped her work through past traumas. And she has a strong appreciation for the strength created through developing a supportive running community.
Keep Up with Verna Volker
Instagram: @hozhorunner4
Keep Up with Native Women Running
Instagram: @nativewomenrunning
Website: NativeWomenRunning.com
Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories
Instagram: @womensrunningstories
Twitter: @WomenRunStories
Website: womensrunningstories.com
Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com
Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
This is a story about how Volker has shaped her running journey to best serve her, her family, and her community.
As she got more involved in running, Volker, a Navaho woman, noticed the absence of stories and experiences of other Native women in the media and online. She decided to help change that by launching Native Women Running, to highlight those experiences and also to support and create community and running opportunities for women like herself.
Volker's running pursuits have also brought her closer to her own ancestry; running is integral to Navaho culture. This was something Volker had known throughout her life, but she hadn't felt that connection until experiencing the sport for herself in adulthood; she is now passing that lived knowledge on to her children. In hand, Volker has also discovered the healing powers of running, which have helped her work through past traumas. And she has a strong appreciation for the strength created through developing a supportive running community.
Keep Up with Verna Volker
Instagram: @hozhorunner4
Keep Up with Native Women Running
Instagram: @nativewomenrunning
Website: NativeWomenRunning.com
Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories
Instagram: @womensrunningstories
Twitter: @WomenRunStories
Website: womensrunningstories.com
Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com
Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Released:
Nov 3, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Enie Manzini + Comrades Marathon: Embracing Your Power: South African marathon and utlra-marathon runner, firefighter, and mother Enie Manzini has loved to run since childhood, and now she competes at the elite level of her sport. But she has had to overcome harsh challenges to get there. This is the story about how Manzini embraced her power and continues to rise to her potential. by Women's Running Stories