Our Collective Stories

Couch to 5K can be a great fit for people who enjoy structure and like having a clear training plan to follow. If you’re someone who feels motivated by checking workouts off a list, tracking progress, and preparing for a race with a straightforward plan, it may work really well for you.

In the weeks leading up to his wife’s death, Kyle Holmes thought things were finally turning a corner. They were talking about future plans again. She seemed lighter. Mother’s Day had gone well. After months of hospital visits, therapy appointments, obsessive fears, and constant reassurance-seeking, it finally felt like some of the weight had lifted. Then, while Kyle was at work one day, his wife died by suicide after struggling with postpartum depression.

At 26 years old, Catherine O’Connor has learned something important about herself: she needs a goal to work toward. Without one, it’s easy to feel stuck. With one, she feels grounded, motivated, and connected to herself in a healthier way.

In 2024, I was awarded the Still I Run Starting Line Scholarship, and it reignited my love for movement and mental health advocacy. My goal was simple and intentional: run a half marathon, my favorite distance.

“A lot of people are looking for medication that will help or fix things,” he said. “And medication absolutely has its place. But regular exercise can have benefits on mental health similar to what medication can do.”

Liz was diagnosed with autism and ADHD when she was 28 years old. Looking back, she now understands why running always felt so necessary to her. As someone who describes herself as having a little “neuro-spiciness,” she realized movement was helping regulate her nervous system long before she had the language for it.