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Runner Spotlight: Genesis

Leading up to the 2019 Austin Marathon, we’ll be featuring some of the dedicated health advocates running on Team People’s in support of affordable, accessible health care.

This week we’re featuring Genesis. Genesis works in People’s Health Promotion department as a Dietitian. Through her work Genesis promotes health education and empowers patients to take charge of their health through diet to support an overall healthy lifestyle. Click here to support Genesis’ fundraiser campaign!

 
Why do you choose to run with team People’s?
I choose to run with team People’s because my coworkers motivate me and I motivate them. I enjoy listening about their improvements and struggles. We also give each other tips on how to train.

How do you make running fun?
I choose what to focus on each day. There are days I focus on my posture, other days, I focus one how I am stepping, and how I am breathing. When I go for longer runs, I put on a good playlist, and if I really don’t want to go for a run, I will put on a podcast. The podcasts I enjoy include “Body Kindness” and “The Limit Does Not Exist”.

What’s your favorite running spot in Austin?
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park on North Lamar before sunset. That is when the deer like to walk along the trail as well. For long runs, I go to lady Bird Lake. I enjoy watching people of all ages, with strollers, and with their pets running at different paces. It motivates me during those longer runs.

How do you stay motivated?
Staying motivated is not easy. Especially when it is raining, cold, or I had a long day at work. However, it has become part of my routine. I share my schedule with friends and ask them to join me. Running or going to the gym with them helps me stay motivated. I know what friends or family members like to work out, so I share my successes, doubts, and struggles. They usually motivate me to keep on doing what I’m doing.

Why is affordable, accessible health care important to you?
I grew up in the American border town, Eagle Pass. I would go to the doctor and buy medicine in the Mexican side of the border. My circumstances were not unique, and many Eagle Pass residents continue to do this because going to the doctor in their home town is too expensive. After I ventured into Austin, I learned how it felt to not go to the doctor because I couldn’t afford it, to pray it goes away on its own, google how to relieve the symptoms and not the root cause. To pay 90-130$ to see a doctor meant I would not have enough money to buy groceries the next month. This was my struggle as healthy young adult, I cannot imagine the difficult situations many of our families and elderly patients have to face because they can’t afford care. No one should have to choose between paying for a doctor’s visit or buying food.

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Want to get involved and support People’s through the 2019 Austin Marathon? Click here to see how you can run, volunteer, or donate to support affordable, accessible health care for uninsured and medically underserved Central Texans.