New River Gorge Rim to Rim Race
Friends and family accomplishing health goals together and creating memories for a life time.
Balazy Family Run Together
We live right outside of Washington, DC and have been coming
to Fayetteville, WV a couple times a year since 2016 because we love
the outdoor vibes and adventures. Peter (43) did the race last
year while the family cheered him on, but this year Jack (9) and Caroline (7)
decided they wanted to run the race themselves and experience the challenge of
NRG Rim to Rim. Kristi (43) was more easily convinced when the kids said
“we’re doing it!” We’re an active family that regularly runs and plays sports so we had a good fitness level to take on the challenge of the race. Peter and Kristi are regular runners and run several times a week which helped to prepare for the event. Jack and Caroline play soccer and lacrosse which keeps them running a lot multiple times a week.
Why is being active together important in your family?
“So when we’re very old we can still be active, play sports, and run races.” – Caroline
“Being active together keeps our family fit so that we can all do challenges and activities together.” – Jack
There never seems to be enough time balancing work, school, activities, responsibilities, and everything else that goes along with life. As a young family, we’ve found that having an active lifestyle where fitness is a key part of what we do for fun and for competition helps us spend time and grow closer together. As for competitive challenges like NRG Rim to Rim, we have a family motto that we like to follow which says “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” (Henry Ford) This helps frame our perspective of how we take on challenges in all aspects of life.
The Power of Walking – Chris Ellis
“Chris is an inspiration to us all. Walking the NRG Rim to Rim is no small feat and getting first place in the men’s category is a huge accomplishment. Three years ago he decided to make his health a priority and he hasn’t wavered from that commitment even a little. He used to be in the kind of pain that made walking difficult and he knew he needed a little help to get him started on this wellness journey. We worked on restoring mobility, posture, and aligning joints to improve his movement quality. Now Chris walks everyday, eats well, sleeps better than ever, continues to spend time with his family and finds time to tromp around the woods doing his favorite activity – hunting. He asked for help and continues to say yes to himself everyday.”
Angie Corwin, owner Activated Body
Chris shares, “My wellness journey has been literally, one step at a time. Finding Angie Corwin was step one. Her work at her studio, Activated Body, set my course for pain-free movement that afforded me the slight hope that one day, maybe one day, I could regain my role in a very active, outdoor lifestyle. Along my wellness journey, I gift myself every morning with one hour of walking. Not just pretty summertime days or occasionally if the mood hits me right, every single day no matter the weather or how busy my day appears. Walking daily is 100% selfish, but with Angie’s weekly sessions, it has moved my body and mind into an area that I feared was gone forever.”
“When I learned of the NRG Rim to Rim race in the Gorge, my initial thought was no way a broken-bodied, bad-back, fifty-year-old me should be anywhere close to the event. After a night or two of thought, I decided having something new to chase could be a motivator to not only continue my daily walks but to do so with a purpose and with some speed. No doubt by letting go and letting my new body and mind chase a goal of walking in and out of the Gorge, allowed me to take another step towards not only living an active lifestyle but leading an active lifestyle. I have already made plans for next year’s race.”
81 Years Young – Jean Evansmore
Jean said the race was very rewarding for her because she had not entered a race for the last 2 1/2 years. She ran her first marathon in 2002 and then became motivated to run a race in all 50 states.
She says her advice for people considering a race event or lifestyle change, they just need to get up and put one foot in front of the other. Walking is free and very accessible. She says the rewards of the endorphins after an event are wonderful and cause you to feel great happiness. And we all need more happiness in our lives. She says she can’t wait to sign up for next year‘s race and has invited a friend to join her!
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