| Meet RUNColumbus team member Joy Stickel. Joy is married to Tony who is a runner too and they have three daughters—identical twins Sophia and Sydney (age 11) and Charlotte (age 8). Joy says the family “lives to serve our three cats.” Why/when did you start running? My dad was a runner and I tagged along with him from about age 10. I played soccer and used running to maintain fitness. Dad was a casual runner but three of his siblings ran Boston—I was (still am) in awe! I started racing in 2004 when my roommate asked me to run a 10k with her. Other than a few pauses for childbirth, I haven’t stopped since. What is your favorite aspect(s) of running? What don’t I love? Running is like a moving meditation for me. Fresh air brings clarity of mind. I love that I can adapt a run to my mood…challenging myself to run farther and faster or taking it easy and losing myself in the scenery. I also love exploring new places. I enjoy making new routes but especially love tagging along with a friend/tour guide. Perfect segue to friends: I’ve met many of my closest ones through running. We’re a special breed of weird. What excites you about being part of the RUNColumbus Race Series and Team? I’ve enjoyed being part of a team since my early soccer days and am thrilled to join the RUNColumbus Team. As much as I love racing, it’s possible that I love spectating and cheering even more. I can’t wait to root my teammates on! I’m also a bit of a numbers nerd and am looking forward to seeing my statistics. Anything else you want to share? I started running team relays in 2018 and am hooked! If anyone is curious about relay racing or looking for a team, feel free to contact me. Likewise, if your team is in need of a runner, hit me up! |
