Kate has worked for the city for 16 years and is the Procurement Card Program Administrator. She recently participated in the TC 1 Mile Corporate Challenge as part of the City of Saint Paul team. We asked Kate what motivated her to participate.
She submitted the following:
Fitness plays a huge role in my life. I try to instill in my kids the importance of being active and having fun while doing it (as you can see by our shirts in the photo…mine says I’M JUST HERE FOR THE SNACKS and his says MY MOM CAN SQUAT MORE THAN YOUR DAD). The best and easiest way to encourage a healthy lifestyle is to lead by example. I’ve been a runner off and on throughout my life, but I’ve only recently found it to be a passion of mine. My son ran his first 5k when he was just eight years old. So when a couple of co-workers who had signed up to run the TC 1 mile couldn’t make it, my son and I decided we’d run together in their place. He’s always enjoyed running but he absolutely loves participating in races. And while the TC 1 mile was just something fun for us to do, we still got into the competitive spirit. I beat him by just a few seconds but it won’t be long before he’s running circles around me. Hunter and I also ran the Endless Summer Trail Race 10k together in May. It was sunny, hot, humid and the course was hilly but he rocked it! As a nine year old, he has now run two more 5ks, a 10K, plus the TC 1 mile. And after watching me cross the finish line last month at my half marathon, he’s determined to do one himself. I’m so proud of him. Having a running partner and knowing that someone is looking up to you is great motivation to remain strong and keep going.
