While this is now somewhat old news – having been announced over a week ago now – I still feel the pull to write about it because it’s no less amazing.
When I read on Twitter that Kara Goucher had signed with Oiselle, I was giddy with joy. Literally, this news coupled with the Spartans first March Madness game going on at the same time, made it virtually impossible for me to concentrate on my work (shhh… don’t tell my boss!). Another international running star had seen the light and joined the flock! And it was Kara Goucher, no less! I remember being enthralled by her NYC Marathon debut in 2008 – the year before I ran it (in almost double the time – ha!).
Both Sally’s and Kara’s blog posts about the signing are incredibly touching and inspiring. It seems to be a perfect match. Sally flock continues to grow in a big way, welcoming another strong, determined and accomplished female runner. Kara joins a team of 250 + women that are welcoming her with open arms and will support her in countless ways, even beyond the official agreement. Both are making a huge impact on the running community with this partnership. Win – Win. It’s fantastic to see how heart, passion and common goals can inspire people to get creative, take chances and find a way to work together when the odds are seemingly stacked against them. I can’t wait to see how this partnership flourishes.
A lot of stories have been written about what this all means for professional runners. While I am by no means an expert on the subject, as an onlooker I can only hope that this inspires other professional runners – and those hoping to become – to take chances and look for unconventional opportunities so that they can follow their dreams. Maybe one day these types of partnerships won’t be so unconventional.
As a runner for Oiselle however, I can say that this reaffirms why I am proud to support this company – vocally and with my (literal) actions. Sally has built a company that empowers women, builds them up and helps them fly. She had a dream and she’s running towards it full speed ahead. Through her actions, she inspires us to do the same. By signing Kara, and Lauren before her, Sally is well on her way to building a powerhouse team, and a household name in the running community (and hopefully beyond).
Photo Credit: Oiselle
I also can’t deny that I’m holding out hope that one of these days I’ll be getting coffee at Spruce or walking on Pearl Street and look over to see Kara – so I can congratulate her on her stellar choice in person. Oiselle Team Colorado just reached a whole new level of fierceness!
For more reading on this, check out Sally’s post HERE and Kara’s HERE.
What do you think about this new partnership? * What dreams are you going after full steam ahead?
*The photo above was used with permission from Oiselle*
1 comment:
I was SOOO happy when I found out about Kara and even more happy when I read her blog post about WHY she joined. I was already so proud to be part of Oiselle and now am even more! I absolutely can't wait for camp to meet even more of these wonderful women (and maybe Kara!?).
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