Suggestions, Tips & Advice from 18 Extraordinary Women
Amanda is a naturopathic doctor based in Gisborne, New Zealand. Her work jam is women’s endocrine regulation, particularly as it pertains to trail-running & endurance medicine. She loves to teach groups of women who want to understand their bodies and optimize their function. Amanda believes in the healing power of nature and thus gives every patient a “Nature Rx” as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Heather “Anish” Anderson is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, three-time Triple Crown thru-hiker, and professional speaker whose mission is to inspire others to “Dream Big, Be Courageous.” She is also the author of two hiking memoirs Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home and Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail.
Ultra and trail runner living in Denver CO, Japanese born, 57 years old, and still running!!! 2x breast cancer survivor. Junko works as a personal trainer, running coach (UESCA certified), and Colorado Athletic Club tabor run club coordinator. Junko runs for the Altra Red team, is a Nuun ambassador, and is a part of the Berkeley Park Running Company team. She has finished 18 one hundred ultra races, is a Grandslam of ultra running finisher, 2x Leadwoman, 3x Silver queen, and 50+ marathons finisher. Junko loves outdoor activities, exploring the Colorado mountains, and has summited Mt Rainer, Kilimanjaro, and Mont Blanc.
I am an ultrarunner living and training in Upstate New York. I’ve been running competitively for more than 30 years and have completed several challenging East Coast trail ultras, though Cayuga Trails (50 miles) remains my favorite. My focus now is anything beyond the 100K distance. I have served as editor/writer at the Trails Collective, as content creator for the Patagonia Trail Running IG, and I’m currently a Trail Sisters contributor. I also serve on the Finger Lakes Runners Club Communication Team.
Sophie Speidel has been running ultras since 2002. She has finished over 100 ultras, including Western States 100, Massanutten 100, and Old Dominion 100 as well as the Hellgate 100k 13 times and the R2R2R of the Grand Canyon. Sophie and her husband Rusty have three adult children, ages 33, 31 and 28 and two Australian Shepherds 8 years old.
Coach, Race Director of the Chuckanut 50k, Brand Ambassador and author of Running Your First Ultra. Racing trails and ultras for over two decades (over 100 races) including wins at UTMB, Wasatch, Vermont, Addo, Hardrock, HURT, UTMF, Cascade Crest and Mt. Masochist. But most notable is that Krissy Moehl is best known as the human companion of PD, the iconic trail running dog of the Pacific Northwest.
Erica Williams is a trail and ultrarunner living in Lexington, KY. She boasts two 100-hundred mile ultramarathons and a 50-mile race among her finishes, which also include over a dozen 50Ks and marathons, respectively. Always in pursuit of even crazier adventures, she is currently training for the 2021 Tahoe 200 Mile Endurance Race and plans to attempt the Triple Crown of 200s in 2022.
Katie is a trail and ultrarunner born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA. She competed in endurance riding with her family as a child and young adult before discovering trail and ultrarunning in her late 20’s. She co-leads the Trail Sisters Santa Cruz local group and is continually inspired by the female friendships and support networks that have developed out of that group over the last several years. Trails Sisters was one of the first resources she discovered when she began trail and ultrarunning in 2017 and she credits hours spent poring over the articles on the Trail Sisters website in those early days with helping her find her feet in a new sport and community.
I’m an environmental resource manager by day, a knitter by night, and a trail runner whenever I can get it in. I co-lead our local Trail Sisters Santa Cruz, CA community so we can get more womxn onto trails and build confidence. I’m an avid potato chip eater and chocolate milk drinker.
Gina is the founder of Trail Sisters (TrailSisters.net), a women’s organization and community focused on growing participation and opportunity for women and those who identify as, in the outdoors. Gina is a board member and Training Director for Chaffee County Search and Rescue (North), Board member for the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run and Women’s Subcommittee Chair, and a member for the city of Buena Vista’s Trail Advisory Board. When not working, Gina can be found exploring in the Sawatch Mountains with her husband Justin (#1 Trail Mister) and three Airedales: Ezra, Spruce, and Hunter.
Silke lives in Boulder, Colorado where she co-founded the Rocky Mountain Runners. She has started more than 60 ultras over the past 13 years and finished every single one. All of her experiences have been shaped entirely by the power of community. Running with inspiring, positive and extraordinarily strong and fun people is the greatest joy and privilege as an athlete. When not running or chasing her toddler around the trails, Silke works full time for an educational non-profit organization that aims to improve school readiness for our next generation of learners through early childhood language development.
I’m a professional trail runner, coach and new mom living and training in Boulder, CO with my partner, Justin Grunewald. We recently had our 1st daughter, Rylan Grunewald, and are loving parenthood. I run for Rabbit and Altra, competing in ultra distances up to 100 miles. I love playing in the mountains and am hoping to race the CCC 100k in France this year.
Ayako is a Tokyo native, raised in L.A., educated in Boston, and now living in San Francisco managing a non-profit youth development program. She also serves as a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run and an Advisory Board member of Back on My Feet. She started her athletic career as a competitive gymnast, switched to track & field as a sprinter through college, and now enjoys running slow marathons. She is an avid outdoor adventurer and has traveled around the world seeking tall mountains and wild trails. She is passionate about equity work that uplifts women and BIPOC.
Hillary Allen is a trail runner and running coach living in Boulder, Colorado. She is a scientist with a masters degree in Neuroscience and Physiology, and also is an author of the book Out and Back published April 6th, 2021. She prefers steep terrain on the trails and is currently training for an everesting project on her local trails in Boulder, CO to celebrate the launch of her book.
Mindy enjoys serving her community as a TS Leader of the Asheville/western NC chapter, running in the Blue Ridge Mountains, walking her dogs (one she wheels in a wagon!), camping, hiking, backpacking and doing basically anything in nature. She’s also a huge fan of cooking and not following recipes, ha! Stoked to be a voice, from the ‘back of the pack’, on this column and help other womxn find their way!
