Fueled by Purpose: Hannah Hughes' Strides to NYC

Hannah Hughes has had a passion for mental health and serving others since she struggled with anxiety in high school.

On a mission to better her mental health and commit to her own needs, she began running in college. She saw it as a release and an outlet for whatever was on her mind on a given day.

A Spirit for Service

Hannah has a deep love for psychology that began early in high school when she first took a class on the subject. Paired with deep empathy and a passion for serving others, becoming a mental health professional was an obvious choice for her.

Hannah's first real struggle with mental health came when she was a freshman in college, experiencing intense anxiety that led to stress-induced migraines. Doctor after doctor couldn't find a solution that worked for her to help ease the stress and pain, so at that point, she turned to running. Around this time, she also started seeing a counselor who specialized in seeing college students at a reduced, more affordable rate.

As she learned more about the field, it became clear to Hannah that there was a major gap in accessibility to mental health care. She decided that she wanted to work in a nonprofit setting where she could provide services to individuals who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them.

When she graduated with her master's degree from Clipson University, she immediately went into working as a Licensed Professional Counselor associate with a nonprofit organization that provides mental health counseling at a reduced rate.

Having experienced firsthand the struggle of finding the care she needed, her heart was set on providing those services to others. She was motivated from freshman year through graduate school by a drive to help underserved people in need of support.

"Through my role here, I'm able to follow both my dreams of working with people and holding space for what they've gone through but also making [counseling] something that's not only accessible to a certain [income] bracket."

Movement is Medicine

Hannah uses running as a release for the stress that her work can bring as much as she uses it as a source of exercise.

Hannah's been running for a long time, but has become more committed to it since she graduated. She's found it to help cope with the heaviness that being a counselor brings, especially when working with the demographic she does.

"It's easy to get lost in the work because it's so somatic. It's so bodily because you're taking on other people's traumatic experiences sometimes without even realizing it. That can lead to a lot of burnout because you realize there's a lot of heaviness and brokenness that you sit with."

Aside from being a stress reliver, Hannah sees running as a huge confidence builder. On the days when running feels like the last thing she wants to do, she still goes out and upholds that promise to herself. Even if it's not a good run or feels extra challenging, she still got out and did it.

"For our mental health, we need those reminders that we can do hard things as much as we need the breath in our lungs. We need to know that we're worthy of keeping the promises we made to ourselves."

Take Two

The New York City Marathon will be Hannah's second full marathon. She's also run two half marathons and several 10Ks over the last few years.

Based in South Carolina, Hannah felt the full force of the summer heat throughout her training cycle, but running on behalf of Still I Run has kept her motivated.

Her first marathon was for herself. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do something so difficult. She wanted to set a goal and achieve it. But for her second time out, she wanted to be fueled by purpose.

"I told myself that if I found something that I really aligned with, especially as a mental health professional, that I would do it all again. I stumbled across Still I Run, and the rest is history. This is something I'm proud to run for, and it keeps me motivated."

Running is Hannah's grounding tool, and it's become an integral part of her life. She has been the perfect addition to Team Still I Run, and we can't wait to cheer her on in New York City!