Carrie chats with Johanna Garton, author of All in Stride, as well as Elvin Kibet and Samantha Schultz who are featured in the book! They discuss how Johanna picked these athletes to share their stories, Johanna’s history in the sport of running, what it’s like to be written about, how the book has changed each of them, and so much more!
Recorded March 25, 2024
Johanna Garton
Johanna Garton began running on the dirt roads surrounding her family’s farmhouse in Wisconsin at age seven. She continued through college, where she competed for Syracuse University as a walk-on. She’s run more than twenty marathons, including five finishes at the Boston Marathon. Johanna’s first book, Awakening East, is the story of the adoption of her two children from China as babies and her family’s move to China to live for one year when the children were ages four and nine. Her second book Edge of the Map tells the story of American high altitude mountaineer Christine Boskoff and is currently being developed into a feature film. Johanna is a sportswriter and high school cross country coach who lives with her family in Denver.
Elvin Kibet
Elvin Kibet originally from a small village in Kenya, has embarked on a remarkable journey from her humble beginnings to the global stage of long-distance running. After excelling in high school, she earned a full scholarship to the University of Arizona where she obtained a degree in public health. Throughout her collegiate career, Elvin demonstrated exceptional running abilities, earning seven-time NCAA All-American honors and setting the 5km school record for UA. She competed at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in the 10,000 meters and in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Elvin has devoted herself to serving her country as a soldier-athlete currently stationed in Ft Carson, Colorado Springs with the U.S. Army’s WCAP. Her story is a testament to perseverance, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence both long distance running and service to her nation.
Samantha Schultz
Samantha “Sammy” Schultz grew up skiing in the mountains of Colorado, playing soccer, swimming, spending time at the barn with horses, and anything outdoors that kept her active. Growing up as a multisport athlete, Sammy was intrigued when she learned about Modern Pentathlon in 2010 as a senior in high school. She was recruited to train with the National Team at the Olympic Training Center and moved to Colorado Springs. She attended college online while training and competing around the world. Sammy was an alternate to the 2016 Olympic Team and joined the US Army and WCAP in 2017 to continue her athletic career as a soldier-athlete. She competed at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and finished out her career as a 7-time US National Champion. Sammy is now helping others with their health and wellness goals as a personal trainer, Pilates, yoga, and fitness instructor living with her husband, Karl, in Colorado Springs.
Show Notes:
Johanna Garton
Johanna Garton on Instagram
Elvin Kibet on Instagram
Samantha Schultz on Instagram
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