Finding Strength In Strides: Mandi Budah’s Running Story

Mandi Budah leads a vibrant life, filled with passion and purpose. Living with her wife and their dog in Long Island, New York, she splits her time between a number of hobbies ranging from dancing to boating and multiple fulfilling roles that showcase her dedication to helping others.

As a social worker, Mandi works at a therapeutic horseback riding facility helping children and adults with disabilities, in schools supporting students with mental health and autism spectrum disorders, and she maintains a private practice. She also does forensic work, focusing on mitigation and alternatives to incarceration as part of a defense team.

“I live a very busy life,” she admits with a laugh. “When you’re anxious, you have to be busy.”

Foundations of resilience

Mandi’s mental health journey began in childhood. She grew up facing intense pressure as a competitive gymnast, dealing with the high expectations and physical demands of the sport. As a young teen, she experienced the emotional avalanche of family upheaval when her parents divorced.

Her psychological well-being took a massive hit as a result of such significant, pervasive stress. “I struggled with an eating disorder as an adolescent and young adult, including two hospitalizations, as well as depression and anxiety starting in my 20s,” Mandi explains. “I have been prescribed every medication under the sun and have hated every one for different reasons.”

After spending more than half of her life navigating treatments and coping strategies, something new organically wove its way into Mandi’s mental health toolkit: running.

An unexpected ally

Running emerged quietly as a therapeutic strategy for Mandi. “I had never really connected running to mental health,” she recalls. “I didn’t realize the impact it had on me for years, until there would be times when I couldn’t run or I was taking a break, and I would notice a really big shift in my mood and who I was overall. I sort of discovered the connection through the back door, not the front door.”

Mandi’s running history began in 2013, doing Disney races as a bonding experience with her sister. However, it soon became more than just a casual family activity. “Being an athlete, it checked that box,” she says. “I’ve never really loved being in the gym or been good at ball sports. [Running] helped keep my body in shape and keep some of those disordered thoughts at bay.”

For Mandi, who has now run dozens of races from 5ks to full marathons, running provides a unique space for mental processing and emotional release. “Being out on the road, just being able to breathe in some fresh air is already so cleansing,” she explains. “If I’m having a particularly stressful day, I’ll make that a harder workout effort, and it allows me to just get rid of whatever’s in my body.”

The solitude running offers has also become particularly valuable as a meditative tool. “I feel a little more free, and it gives me the space to dive into my thoughts,” Mandi says. “What is happening, why is it going on, what am I doing about it. It gives me a place to brainstorm without any other distractions.”

In 2021, Mandi’s relationship with running deepened when she hired a coach, which helped her discover untapped potential, leading to significant improvements in her race times. It also helped her develop a healthier relationship between food and exercise, something that has been instrumental in healing some of her past struggles with disordered eating. “I can’t have performance goals and then be restrictive with the fuel that actually gets me to those goals,” she explains. “Those are completely contradictory to one another.”

All of this progress has fostered a new sense of empowerment for her. “It has definitely brought much more confidence to me in general,” she says. “Just walking through life, I have found that I can build that confidence within myself regardless of who is around me.”

The Chicago Marathon and Still I Run

When Mandi didn’t get selected for the 2024 Chicago Marathon lottery, she started to investigate what it would take to enter the race via fundraising for a charity. During her research, she discovered Still I Run while browsing through the list of charity partners.

“The organization really stood out to me and I stopped scrolling after I found it. I had never known that a non-profit like them even existed,” she says. “It just felt right—it was a cause that actually spoke to me. It wasn’t just raising money for a great organization. I actually felt like I had a personal connection to the mission.”

Still I Run provided comprehensive support throughout her journey to Chicago. “From the first email to the last check-in, they left no question unanswered,” Mandi says. “I never felt like I was floundering. I never felt like I didn’t know what to do next.”

The preparation for the race was intense, with Mandi training through the challenging New York summer. “It was a pretty brutal training cycle,” she admits. “There were a lot of feelings of defeat and feelings like ‘can I do this?’” Despite the doubts, she remained committed to her goal, supported by her coach, family, and the Still I Run community.

The race itself proved challenging, with Mandi facing unexpected difficulties in the second half. Despite not hitting her ambitious goal time, she finished only a minute behind her marathon personal best. “It took me a little while to get to that space where I can be sad and proud at the same time,” she reflects. “To be able to run a marathon is wild. I think it’s incredible that the body can do it. I think it’s incredible that the mind can do it.”

The experience has left a lasting impact on Mandi, who continues to stay connected with her fellow runners. “I feel like we’re bonded for life in a little bit of a weird way,” she says. “We were doing such meaningful work through something that we all love to do.”

Running forward

While Chicago may have marked Mandi’s final marathon distance race, she continues to challenge herself with new goals. She is currently training for the Brooklyn Half Marathon, maintaining her dedicated four-day-per-week training schedule with her small group of run club friends. Through this next chapter, she remains committed to advocating for running as both a physical outlet and a vital tool for mental well-being.

“You don’t need to be fast, you don’t need to run far, and you don’t have to have expectations,” Mandi advises. “Just show up for yourself. We never give ourselves enough credit for what we are capable of doing, and starting a running journey will without a doubt show you that you are capable of hard things, and probably things you never thought you could do.”