Author Archives: Sarah Vandiver

Volunteer Stephanie Florence offered to interview another one of the Trailblazers participating in this spring’s RUN THE WORLD campaign. Wait till you hear how sweet Stephanie W.’s race is… and not just because she’s running it to help sponsor a girl in Tanzania.

Stephanie (but you can call her Stevie) Walker is a PR professional by day and world-changer by night. In true She’s the First fashion, we had to share what Stevie is the first to do — she’s the first in her family to live and work in New York City AND the first to work in PR. Check out her fundraising page; she’s running the Memorial Day Ice Cream Social 10k race around Roosevelt Island. Yes, you heard that right. The race ends with ice cream!

Name: Stephanie (Stevie) Walker
City: New York
Age: 23
Alma Mater: Gordon College
Profession: PR Professional
Tweet her: @BittyLeigh
Donate to her #RunSTF page

What are you the first to do? Or, what do you want to be the first to do?

I’m the first in my family to live and work in New York City, and the first to work in PR.

How are you helping girls to run the world?

I’m working with She’s the First to raise awareness of the program and I’ll be running a 10k in Roosevelt Island on Memorial Day this year!

What is your fundraising goal?

I set my goal at $500.

What’s a training tip or fitness that you’ve learned in the process of being part of the campaign?

The first step is always the hardest, but it’s always, always worth it.

Best piece of support/feedback/encouragement that you’ve received?

“You’re going to run further today than you did yesterday.” I tell myself that every morning.

Your power song?

I’m shameless – anything by Mika will do it.

Tell us about a girl sponsored by She’s the First who motivates you.

Eli from Tanzania inspires me – she isn’t afraid to give a voice to her dreams, and I love that! Check out a video from Eli and her friend, Glory, recorded when a friend of She’s the First went to visit them:

The RUN THE WORLD campaign is going strong in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., thanks to Lorraine Brontë Magee! She is both walking AND running in hopes of raising $1,000 for girls at the Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda. (She quickly met her original goal…so she decided to triple it!)

Lorraine is a true trailblazer, as the founding president of STF’s American University campus chapter. She recently organized She’s the First*{American}’s Walk the World Week, where she committed to walk 10,000 steps each day for five days. (The students had special She’s the First pedometers to track.) As a big finale, Lorraine will run a 5k race in June.

Lorraine ordered these pedometers for her chapter to use.

Name: Lorraine Brontë Magee
City: Washington D.C.
School: American University
Major: Elementary Education
Tweet her: @lorrainebronte
Donate to her #RunSTF page

How are you helping girls to run the world?

As a member of my college’s She’s the First chapter, I help U.S. students become advocates for girls’ education in the developing world.

What is your fundraising goal?

My fundraising goal started at $360, but as of today, friends have given over $820! I’m hoping to bring my total to $1,000 by the end of June.

What’s a training tip or fitness that you’ve learned in the process of being part of the campaign?

I love the quote “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem.” Training for my first 5k for the RUN THE WORLD campaign has taught me to believe in my own strength.

Best piece of support/feedback/encouragement that you’ve received?

I received an anonymous donation of $360, which is enough to sponsor a scholar  in Uganda for one year. I’m so inspired by that generosity!

Your power song?

I love running to “I Melt With You” by Modern English. Running to the beat keeps me on track, and I love the lyrics “the future’s open wide!”

Tell us about a girl sponsored by She’s the First who motivates you.

Rebecca at the Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda is the first girl STF*{American} helped to sponsor. She wants to be a lawyer, and she motivates me every day!

Rebecca

Lorraine shares why she's passionate about education.

Nicole Jimenez

She’s the First is highlighting our top “trailblazers” — some ambitious athletes who are setting themselves up for fitness challenges (such as their first 5K or half marathon!) and asking friends and family to support with donations to sponsor a girl’s education. We guarantee you will be inspired to RUN THE WORLD with us after reading about them!

This week, our attention focuses on Nicole Jimenez, as she prepares to face 13.1 miles, mostly UPHILL, all in the spirit of bringing education opportunities to Guatemalan students, like Ana Teresa. Below, volunteer blogger Meaghan O’Connor catches up with Nicole to see what motivates her to endure the 13.1 climb up the North Face Challenge’s Half Marathon Bear Mountain…and we are sure Nicole will bring down the mountain!

Name: Nicole Jimenez
City: Ann Arbor
Age: 20
School: University of Michigan
Major: Athletic Training
Tweet her: @njimenez22
Donate to her #RunSTF page

How are you helping girls to run the world?
I promote health and wellness for female athletes through my athletic training major. On May 5th, I’m also trekking a full 13.1 miles in The North Face Challenge’s Half-Marathon up Bear Mountain in New York to RUN THE WORLD with She’s the First.

What is your fundraising goal?
My goal is to raise $300 to help sponsor one girl in a developing country to attain secondary education.

What’s a training tip or fitness that you’ve learned in the process of being part of the campaign?
I’ve learned how to better balance my hard runs and easy runs to make sure I get full rest between workouts!

Best piece of support/feedback/encouragement that you’ve received?
I watched a  documentary on Dean Karnazes (he ran 50 marathons in 50 days) and he said, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, but never, ever give up.”

Your power song?
My power song is “A Dios Le Pido” by Juanes.

Tell us about a girl sponsored by She’s the First who motivates you.
A girl who motivates me is Ana Teresa from Guatemala. As the oldest out of her seven siblings, she has worked a total of eight jobs to help her family and she loves to study. When her dad told her they didn’t have enough money to pay for her school, she began searching for other options and found Starfish One by One. Her determination to continue with her education motivates me to work harder to sponsor girls’ education in developing countries.

Nicole raced the Warrior Dash in preparation for her Half Marathon!

Ana Teresa, here with her family, is one of the lucky girls that Nicole is helping to receive a high school education

She’s the First is highlighting our top “trailblazers” — some ambitious athletes who are setting themselves up for fitness challenges (such as their first 5K or half marathon) and asking friends and family to support with donations to sponsor a girl’s education. We guarantee you will be inspired to RUN THE WORLD with us after reading about them!

This week, Trailblazer Anna Schilawski, grabs our attention. She recently completed the New York Road Runner’s More/Fitness Magazine Women’s Half Marathon in just 2:07:18. Not only did Anna complete the race but she also surpassed her fundraising goal by 10%! Curious about this inspiring young woman, I caught up with Anna to learn about her connection to She’s the First, and what’s making her RUN THE WORLD.

Name: Anna Schilawski
City: New York City
Age: 25
School: Indiana University
Profession: Manager of Digital Communications and Social Media for Maybelline, Garnier and essie
Tweet her: @annaschilawski
Donate to her #RunSTF page

What are you the first to do? Or, what do you want to be the first to do?

I was the first in my family to travel to Asia (for school) and Europe (for pleasure). I’ve grown very passionate about traveling the world and want to be the first to travel to Africa.

Anna (left) completing her first half-marathon! Pictured with running friend, Melissa Basolo.

How are you helping girls to run the world?
I ran my sixth half marathon, the New York Road Runner’s More/Fitness Women’s Half-Marathon on April 14th in New York City! I’m thrilled to have run with such an inspiring group and to have crossed the finish line.

What is your fundraising goal?

My goal is to raise $500 to help sponsor the education of young girls around the world!

What’s a training tip or fitness that you’ve learned in the process of being part of the campaign?

It’s important to “share” your progress on social media! Every tweet and #RunSTF mention counts.

Best piece of support/feedback/encouragement that you’ve received?
Find a “sweat sister” (or sisters!) to train with. It’s important to take a moment to reflect on each mile we run and dollar we raise to become a stronger person and team.

Your power song?

“I Love It” by Icona Pop.

Tell us about a girl sponsored by She’s the First who motivates you.

Rachael B, a 10 year old at the Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda, motivates me! She has the most gorgeous smile and we share a favorite book in common, “Puss in Boots.” Watch this video about Rachael B’s school, Arlington Academy of Hope.