"Being able to run is a reward. I’ve spent so much time lying in bed waiting to be helped up just to take a sip of water. When my body cooperates, I run no matter what the weather and feel thankful for the gift of freedom to move my body."

- Victoria S., 36
Pensacola, Florida

Read more about Victoria's struggles through cervical dystonia, herniated discs, and fibromyalgia and how she moves best.

"The physical activity I do allows me to explore.

I can explore my city, my country and the world on my feet or on my bicycle....I can see the beauty that exists around each corner..

I love that it enables me to do the things I love. That I can stretch and explore and adventure without limits. I don’t have to worry that I wont be able to do a hike, or go to a viewpoint, or jump out of an airplane.. because the moving I do in my daily life allows me that."

- Rhiannon J., 33
Edmonton, Alberta Canada

"I move to move forward physically and metaphorically! It clears my mind and is like meditation for my soul, body, and mind. I look forward to healthy aging and living well as I age. Older adults that move inspire me to keep moving :)"

- Alice B., 41
Alberta

"I was determined to not let my depression define who I was or set limits on what I could accomplish. Long-distance running and cycling, along with medication and therapy, had helped lessen my symptoms. While they weren’t cures, they helped me get out of bed each day, something that seemed impossible only two years earlier [when my mom died from cancer at the age of 61].”

Jason B.

Read more about Jason's marathon journey.

"...when I exercise, that makes me better in every role I have, whether it’s as a husband, father, friend or entrepreneur. If I were to stop exercising because I felt that being a good business owner was a higher priority, then ironically I would end up a worse business owner than I was when it was a lower priority. Putting exercise first creates a win-win." 

- Josh S.
via Entrepreneur 

“I come from a family full of dance and music. In a way, I am carrying on a tradition. This is #WhyIMove. Dance for me is a pure form of being in the moment; I don’t think about anything but the music and reacting. I am a movement artist — I love seeing all the ways I can use my body to create pictures and movement.”

- B-Boy David S.
Via Instagram Blog

"At age 30, I was going through a divorce and realized how unhappy I truly was, weighing in at my all-time highest weight of 215 pounds. I had an enlightened moment when I realized that I could do things that I enjoyed doing to work out, such as hiking outside in nature. Then I thought, what the heck, why not try running?

My biggest hurdle was believing in myself. I first learned to love myself, realized that I needed to take small steps, because they lead to bigger steps."

Emily S., 37
Leechburg, Pennsylvania
Via Runner's World

"Once my eye sight was back to normal and I was able to participate in sports again, I came back to life. I remembered my passions and why I needed to try harder to live a healthier lifestyle. I had never set any major goals in my life, so choosing to focus on my health and fitness was a major undertaking and I decided to set my sights on running a half marathon. This was a chance to prove to myself that I can complete a major goal and not let my diabetes control my life, but rather allow me to have control over it.

I think it is important to motivate others to keep pushing to achieve their dreams no matter how impossible they may seem, and I hope to keep running to achieve new goals while helping others."

- Natalie J.

Read more about Natalie Runs for Schizophrenia.