[00:00:14] Speaker A: Welcome to the We Are Chaffey Podcast where I have conversations of community, humanness and well being with the incredible people of Chaffee County, Colorado. I'm Adam Williams. Today I'm talking with Gina Lucrezi. As you'll hear me tell Gina in this conversation, I see her as a dynamic, energetic, positive, make good things happen kind of human being. And I know for certain that many thousands of our fellow Chaffee county neighbors agree because they recently voted for her to lead as one of our three county commissioners.
So Gina and I talk about the draw she feels toward public service. It seems to be a current that runs through many of the ways of showing up in her life. From founding and leading Trail Sisters, which is the leading women's trail running organization maybe in the world, to her volunteering and leadership roles for Chaffee County Search and Rescue north, to her official elected roles in our community too, which in recent years has involved serving as a town trustee and Mayor Pro Tem in Buena Vista and now very soon as a county Commissioner. We talk about some of the formative experiences in her life like with running, track and field, cross country and later trail and ultramarathon running. She was a 10 time All American and a national champion at DeSales University. She would become a professional trail runner and she would win gold for Team USA as part of a trail marathon team. The grit of all those running experiences, physical, mental, emotional to me that no doubt transfers to Gina's other endeavors. So we talk about where her hard work ethic and bet on her self confidence came from. We also talk about her being diagnosed with ADHD as a young child, the challenges that presented, and how she has learned to harness it as what she refers to as a superpower. The We Are Chafee Podcast is supported by Chaffey County Public Health and it's part of the larger We Are Chafee storytelling initiative. Go to werchafypod.com to see episode show notes with photos, links and a transcript of the conversation. You can subscribe to the monthly email newsletter there as well. And if you are on Instagram you can see more photos and connect with the podcast at We Are chafypod Now here is Gina Lucrezzi.
I want to learn about Trail Sisters, which I think you founded in 2016, is that right?
[00:02:41] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: And my understanding is that this is the largest women's trail running organization in the country, if not world.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: And I think that is so amazing and that you're right here. You know you're local to us, but you are changing the world in this way. I want to hear about it, though. How and why did you start Trail Sisters?
[00:03:01] Speaker B: Oh, geez. Yeah. Thank you for that.
So, yeah, I started in 2016, but it really came about prior to that in terms of conception and just the idea behind it. But I've been working in the outdoor industry.
Leading up about eight years, I'd done marketing for a trail run company, shoes, if you will. Then I'd work for different advertising agencies, Trail Run magazine, Iron Farr, and then I also ended up working as a consultant doing marketing projects for various outdoor brands. Julbo, Ultimate Direction, Merrell Vasque, just, you know, so. And also I was a. Well, it sounds silly to say professional trail runner, but, you know, I didn't really make anything. So that's kind of the joke with all that. I mean, today they're doing much better. There's a lot more money involved in the. In the sport, which is great, and there's deservedly so. But within all these jobs I had in the outdoor industry, specifically the trail running, I just realized there's. There was a huge lack of women's perspective and voice in the sport. And, you know, as a woman, I'm sitting there, I'm like, hey, I have so many friends that love this sport and want to do more with it, but we're feels like we're absent in this world of media with the brands at races. So I guess what I knew the best was how do I get, you know, stories and ideas and suggestions and tips and education from various women and just put it out there so people realize, hey, we're here and there's a lot that we can offer. So I started what was called the Trail Sisters Journal, and it was an online journal. And I got seven friends together that, you know, I had in the space and, like, hey, would you be willing to write, you know, a column or, you know, an article for me? And so we. Everybody did their piece, and I shared it, I think one per. Per week for a couple months. And we'd all put it on our social media, and people started to find it and read, and they were like, hey, how can I get involved in. Is it possible for me to be a contributor? You know, what can I. What can I share? And kind of took off from there. But it was a passion project, really, to just bring more women to the space and grow that awareness and celebration for. Yeah. Women in sport.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: So when you started it that way as a journalist, what did you think might happen when you published those? Like, did you have any concept of, well, we might get, you know, our friends, our local. Each of us having our own friend groups, maybe wherever we're living, or, you know, 50 people, let's say, to read this, a hundred people. What did you think might happen?
[00:05:45] Speaker B: That's a great question. You know, I. I really don't know. I just. I think for me, I just wanted to do something more than just talk about how, wow, I wish we had more going on for women in sport and trail running, you know, to my friends that I would run with, you know, daily or weekly or whatever. And so I guess, you know, obviously I hoped people would find it and read it and, you know, I. And that more people would want to contribute to it. But I guess I was really just hoping to get more awareness. But that's a great question. I don't know. I just wanted to do something, and I figured that was the first step, and then whatever resulted from it, I'd. I embrace that next. But I just. I don't know, I was motivated to take action.
[00:06:28] Speaker A: No, I understand. Yeah, I think it's. I'm thinking of artists who feel compelled to express something.
[00:06:34] Speaker B: Right.
[00:06:35] Speaker A: And you hope, of course, that people are going to see and appreciate and engage with it. You don't really have control over that part. You know, you could, but you take the first step, and in this case that's to write the stories and you gathered your friends and you at least know that you have that group who's sharing and collaborating in this thing.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: Well, you know, the idea that people will hopefully read it, you know, that it inspires them to then share whatever they've learned with their friends or just, I don't know, help them to feel good about what they're doing and that they're not alone and other people are going through similar situations. And hopefully that inspired, like. So our platform, essentially the three things that were most important were inspiration, education, and empowerment. So each article that is published is really supposed to dive into one of those or, you know, have that be included as a part of the messaging. And so I always felt that if you can convey those things, man, I mean, your ability to share with other people, you feel good about yourself, your confidence rises, it's endless, you know, not just in the sport of trail running, but hopefully in their daily lives. So. And, you know, I've kind of put that more together as I've gone along with Trail Sisters. But the beginning, it was just to hopefully get people in an awareness that, hey, we see you, we're here for you, you know, like what, what can we do to help you get out there and feel better about what you're doing? That there's this little family that I don't know, we're out there for them too, so feel good thing, I guess.
[00:08:05] Speaker A: There's now more than 150 groups. I don't know if you call them chapters or local groups.
[00:08:10] Speaker B: Yep, yep. Chapters works too.
[00:08:12] Speaker A: They're across the country. You've even touched into Canada, I think, with some. So this clearly and over the course of nearly nine years has grown into something that was so much more than you might have even hoped.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. It's been a wild ride. One that I'm very thankful for. And ups and downs, of course. Like anything but. Yeah, it started as the journal and then we had this online community, if you will, that people would email and say, how do I meet local trail sisters? You know, I want to go out and run with folks. How is that possible? How can I connect? I was like, oh, geez, how do I do this one? And so we started with Facebook groups because it was easy and it was free. And then we eventually, at this point, we now created our own version of, I mean, a community website or platform. So you could say it's like a Facebook. So we don't have the billions of dollars that Facebook has to make it that sexy, but it's a great platform. And so. But it's specific to what we do. And so all of our groups are housed there and people. It's all free, of course, but people can just log on and join a group and then connect and they go out and they're supposed to.
The groups are ebb and flow of how busy they are because they're all volunteer led. So generally there should be at least two runs per month or let's say adventures, because a lot of them are hike runs. You know, it's not one of the misconceptions, like, are these all fast? People just is like, no, no, it's for everybody. We do no drop runs, which is a lot of, hey, may, you go a half mile or a mile, you stop, you wait for everybody to regroup and then you continue on. So the whole idea is, hey, we're here for everybody. We want everybody to have a great time and have a chance to learn things and make new friends throughout the group. And that's hard to do it if you're turning it into something that's more.
[00:10:00] Speaker A: Of a competitive something. Right. Or only for those who are elite. I mean, let's say if you and I ran together, I would need you to a no drop, you know, pause for me.
[00:10:12] Speaker B: Sure, sure.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Right. Because, yeah, we're very different levels, I think.
[00:10:16] Speaker B: Well, I, you know, it's. I'm of the mindset if somebody has to go out and get a workout in or hit times or, you know, they've repeats, whatever it is, either find the right training partner for that or you do it solo. But the trail sisters groups are really for more of that community, that social hour, that time to connect. Because, yes, it's. It's the trails that bring everybody together, but it's more than that. It's about building that camaraderie and strengthening each other's education on the trails and the outdoors. But also, I don't know, building confidence for one another. I kind of can go down the rabbit hole with confidence building, but I think, especially for women, I believe, I mean, everybody might have a. How do I put it? Lack of confidence in something. You know, men, women, like, everybody.
[00:11:02] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: But I think in my time speaking with tons of women through trail sisters, that's one common issue I see quite a bit that they're not sure about this or that and like, well, how can we build that? And I think you can really increase your confidence by spending time with other people and going through situations and just learning more through that avenue. And so with the groups, it's not only about the trail running, but I think it's building each other up and strengthening them for more than just trail runs, but their everyday life, going to work with their family and, you know, anything else you want to throw in the mix. But so it's grown into something, in my opinion, that's bigger than just the trail.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: You have a lot of personal running history that goes all the way back to at least high school, maybe earlier.
[00:11:50] Speaker B: High school, I'd say high school, yeah. High school is kind of where it started. I was a field hockey player.
That's where everything started for me in sport. But we'd have to do a mile time trial for field hockey, and I would do really well and would win that little. It wasn't a competition, but I always finish first. And our track coach was like, hey, you know, you should probably come out for track. And I was like, all right, you know, a little more running. And I broke our school record my freshman year. And after that it was like, oh, there might be something there.
[00:12:21] Speaker A: And in what event?
[00:12:23] Speaker B: The mile. Sorry. Yep. So as a mid distance runner, so mile, that's always been my. Well, I don't do that anymore. That Speed. But that was always my, my favorite distance was the mile or the 1500. When I got to college, they throw me in the two mile. And I always hated having to run the two mile in high school because nobody would ever stay around for. It was usually at the end of the meet. Um, people wouldn't like. It was long, right. You had eight laps around the track, people would leave. Or you just kind of felt like you're out there doing your thing by yourself and you know, the last lap, then people might start clapping for you, like, hey, so. But, but I was pretty good runner and I would often win that distance so I'd help the team get points. So I knew I was stuck doing it. But then of course, years later, here I am doing ultra distances. By that time I couldn't stand two miles. So it just funny where things take you.
[00:13:17] Speaker A: I was thinking about before you came in here because I knew we would be talking about running.
[00:13:21] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:13:21] Speaker A: How I had no interest in running when I was younger and in high school we would run. I think it might have only been 2 miles, maybe 3 for preseason conditioning for basketball. And I thought it was forever. I hated it. They were the worst days of the season, worst days of my life. And now I love running and I run, you know, for hour or hours.
[00:13:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:13:45] Speaker A: And I never would have when I was younger, thought I would ever like, why would I ever do that? It's just torture, right?
[00:13:51] Speaker B: Well, you know, it's funny, I think it's social thing. I think, I mean hindsight's 20 20, right. But looking back, like I love to field hockey because I love so much more of that team atmosphere. And we would talk to each other, you know, we're playing on the field, but we could still communicate and we could breathe. You know, when you're running, you know, the mile or the two mile, you're out there, you have a team attract team, but you're not really. You don't have a chance to conversate. You're, you're focused, you're doing your event and you know, breathing the best you can. It just has a different appeal. And I think for a lot of people, like, oh, that doesn't seem appealing. But ironically, later in life you take a lot of these ball sports or team sports, I should say. And a lot of those folks are like, oh, I love running, you know, but at that time they, yeah, it wasn't something that was of interest because I think it was really the social aspect. But in my opinion, that's my guess.
[00:14:43] Speaker A: But you Went on to run in college and extremely successfully, I would say. You went to DeSales University D3. You were an All American and 10 time national champ.
[00:14:54] Speaker B: Yeah, 10 time Division 3 All American. I was a national champ one time in the indoor 1500. Oh, it would be amazing if I was a 10 time national champion though.
[00:15:06] Speaker A: But isn't it Amazing to be 10 time all American?
[00:15:08] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:15:09] Speaker A: That's pretty wild.
[00:15:10] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, I can't complain. That was. I never would have thought. I don't know everyone. I mean, I'm 41 years old and this was a long time ago, of course, but it really did. It shifted my life to a place I never thought of before. That I thought I was going to be a marine biologist and somehow I got into the trail running world and that's kind of where I stayed. And you know, obviously now I'm doing some other things, but it's just interesting, you know, I had some success obviously through high school and then college and it was a great opportunity and I just kind of fell in love more and more with what I was doing in the outdoor space than through, you know, the trails. We could never run trails in college because they were always like, oh, if you hurt your ankle or you twisted on a rock, like, you won't be able to race next weekend at, you know, whatever the meet was. So I, I didn't find trail running till much later. But the college success was.
It was addictive too. You know, you start to have some success that's. You get kind of tunnel vision and want to continue doing that. And so it kind of took a hold of me more than I realized it was, if that makes that makes sense.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Well, talk about confidence building, right when we are really good at something, right when we win in these sorts of environments, when people pat us on the back and say, you're amazing and here are some honors for you. It's pretty hard not to feel better about yourself and want to continue down that path. Could you think I must be good at something, Right. Why wouldn't I continue the thing I'm good at?
[00:16:42] Speaker B: Right? Right. Well, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, it's just, all right, keep doing this. And it was fun to, you know, start to learn more. It's like anything, I guess, you know, make more friends within that space.
Going to different meets, even started to know different competitors at different schools.
[00:16:57] Speaker A: And was there a respect thing you started to have there where they would recognize you, you would recognize them and you're like, we are, you know, the number one, you know, for whatever event on our team that we kind of recognize, you know, apples to apples there.
[00:17:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I think so. Always had respect for everybody in general. Just putting yourself out there, you know, no matter where you place it within the sport, you know, you're. You're doing the thing, that finish line, it's the same distance for everybody. So you're all working your tails off. But you would start to know, you know, who the, you know, who your main competition would be, and you connect. We had, I don't know, Facebook just started when I was in college maybe. But you be able to connect with some folks. And I remember looking at newspaper clippings and finding. Following along how people were doing and trying to strategize when do they turn on the heat for, you know, 1500 or the mile? Was it the third lap? Was it the last 200 at the, you know, in the. In the mile, you know, see, you'd. So you'd really start to kind of dial in a little bit on, you know, who your main competition was. But I think everybody had that respect. I never ran into anybody that was specifically, you know, just angry or, you know, gruff. But everybody wants to win. You might be quieter before or more quiet before the race, and then afterwards, you're a little bit, whichever way it goes, but you're more chatty afterwards. But those are the nerves, you know.
[00:18:22] Speaker A: I was just wondering. It's interesting that you brought up kind of watching, let's say, game tape, right? Watching how they performed. Because I was just wondering, coming from a place as an athlete who played ball sports and, you know, I mentioned basketball in particular, you know, you might watch game tape and scout their particular stars and, you know, kind of playing your game around, defending against them or how you want to offensively attack that team and those players.
So in this individualized sport, sort of, you know, you're competing, like you said, as an individual, even though you're part of a track team. I just wondered how would that translate? And so you started spelling that out. And that's really interesting to me to learn how, I guess, strategy of different athletes might play out. How does that affect how you would approach that would. Because I would think that you don't want to necessarily tailor your strategy to someone else's. So how are you taking that information and then countering that somehow within your own, you know, intention?
[00:19:24] Speaker B: That's a great. Well, so this going back way far, but I remember in high school, which, you know, like I said, we're going far back here, but running against same people, same teams, you start to notice, you know, hey, their style. And of course, like you said, you have your own, which makes sense, you know, what works for you. But there's this one school we'd race against. It was Notre Dame of Green Pond. And they had great runners, they always had a great team. And there's this one, one girl, she would always turn it on the third lap. And I remember because the first time I ran against her, I lost because I was like, oh, wow, she's already taken off. We crossed, you know, the 800 meters, and then she started to pick it up, you know, at the end of the first turn in the third lap. And I was like, oh, I can't keep up with her for two laps, right? So it's like, I'll just do my own thing. And whatever juice I have left on the last lap, I'll. I'll let it go. And, you know, I could never catch up to her. I let her go. I could have stayed with her, but I let her go. But it felt like I didn't. I didn't think I could keep her pace. And then, you know, the next year, as a senior. Oh, no, I'm sorry. My junior year, that was a sophomore year thing.
She. When I had to face her again, I remember she picked it up on the third lap, and I thought, what if I. What if I go? What if I go with her? And so I did. And she couldn't hold it the last lap. And I surprised myself because I had enough to continue going. And so then I overtook her and I was able to take the last lap ahead of her and win the race. But one of my mantras is take a bet on yourself and develop that later. But it's just funny looking back and being like, well, I took that chance and it paid off. It doesn't always, don't get me wrong.
[00:21:02] Speaker A: But to take that chance, though, was really key. And that's what I was thinking through when you were saying the first time you encountered her. What if you don't know if you can keep up? So it sounds like more of a fear thing.
[00:21:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:16] Speaker A: And I love talking about all of this because I think there really is metaphor here between all the running and the different, you know, mental and emotional and all these things that come into play with running and life. So to me, what we're doing here is also talking about what builds to where you have gone with trail sisters. And we can talk about your public service and running, you know, elections and all these things. To me, this is all relevant it's all metaphor and goes together.
I wondered, in your telling of the second time you ran against her, what I'm thinking is you said she didn't keep up. What if she was so used to breaking people in the third lap that by the time she got to the fourth, she was so struggling, but nobody ever challenged it, so she was so far ahead, she'd broken their mental will.
So you finally challenged her and she couldn't keep up with you.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: Yeah, that's.
[00:22:05] Speaker A: That's a great story.
[00:22:06] Speaker B: Yeah, I think. I mean, obviously I'm not her, so I don't know, you know, how she felt, but I could continue on and she could not. And so. But I think that was the plan. But it was a great strategy. She was a top runner in our. In our league for years and years, and, you know, so everybody has their own thing, but, you know, you don't know your limits until you try to find them, I guess. And fear holds a lot of folks back and. And rightfully so at times. I get it. Putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, it's not easy. But every once in a while, you try to inch into that space, and when it works out and you're like, oh, I'm glad I did, hopefully it encourages more people to take those chances and see what they're really capable of.
[00:22:49] Speaker A: Some risks are bigger than others, and I think that we all need to be willing to step out there from time to time, maybe identify the ones that carry a little less risk.
And running can be one of those things. Right? It's like, okay, if I end up dnfing this run, if I can't finish this ultra run because I pushed too hard, I just learned something about myself.
Next time I'll try it differently.
And so often, though, we do allow fear to hold us back. I personally, in thinking about your running the mile and how I said when I was in high school, conditioning, you know, for preseason with basketball, I'm like, I hated running two or three miles. I would much rather. I can't imagine being a mile, you know, track athlete or 5k cross country, like somebody who's just pushing it to the wire the whole time.
I would much rather run 10, 20, 30, 50k, because I can suffer at a level that is sustained but more comfortable. I don't know how to push myself against that wall and make it hurt for 5k.
[00:23:57] Speaker B: Right, right. So, okay, so it's funny you say that. So, I mean, yeah, my distances have shifted until, you know, today I do much longer stuff, but I Have, you know, an inkling to get back into doing another hundred mile. And my husband's always like, well, wait, you know, you haven't done one in a little bit. Maybe you should just start with a marathon or something else. And I'm like, my big fear. I'm like, oh, but I have to like work so much harder and be so much faster in, in that distance. We're in the hundred. Heck, I have. I can hike. I can, you know, I like, it's so funny and to think, you know, from starting with this mile. But you're absolutely right. You're like, you feel like you're, what's it in an anaerobic state for the entire time, like the 800, the, the people that run that distance. I'm like, where do you take your, you know, do you get a hundred meters of just like relaxation? Cause it's just a full, full on push. The, you know, the entire time with the mile, I always felt like at least there was some space within those four laps that I would have breathing room where I could. All right, we're going to settle in here and then we're going to turn it back on. You know, maybe the last lap or whatever it was, depending on who I was running against. Because I do think there's strategy involved with all of that. But, but it's, you know, nuanced, I guess, depending on who you're running, which race it is, yada, yada. But yeah, it's weird to think about now. I'm like, I don't know how the heck I did that. You know, how you just have that speed at younger times too, so.
[00:25:24] Speaker A: But yeah, it's hard for me to think back to what, how some things went better when I was younger, probably just because my body either recovered better, it was stronger maybe. I don't know. I'm having to deal with some age things now. You mentioned you're 41. I'm 48. I don't have the running career and background that you do. And so as I'm trying to get into these things more and more and then I face injuries and I then have to back off. I'm like, well, how much of this is just one, I need to learn? And two, my body is older than it used to be. So I, you know, am really in a different position when it comes to figuring it out.
[00:26:00] Speaker B: I think strength training. Strength training, that's what they'll tell you. Anybody you talk to, they'll be, do your strength training. And I'm telling you now And I. I don't do it either, so. So. But that's the one thing I hear, as you get older, they're like, make sure you incorporate more strength training. But. And it's not like a hard thing to go do. But for some reason, I'm like, no, just run, come home, and that's it. And then I'm like, why am I sore? I'm like, oh, I should be doing that strength training.
[00:26:23] Speaker A: But yeah, anyway, and stretching, too, and all the things. Right. Just the body care that is so much different now at this age than it was when we were younger. And, I mean, I wasn't taught those things, but even if I had really been, I probably would have just allowed the way my body would recoup and do its own thing. I don't think I needed it so much. It's just like when I was in my 20s and I could eat whatever I wanted. I could drink whatever I wanted. And now I think back on, how was I doing all that? You know, things are different.
[00:26:51] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: You went on to be a pro runner, as you mentioned, you also ran for Team usa. And, you know, we don't have to linger on this too long if you don't want. I know we have other, you know, great parts of your story to get into, but I just don't want to skip that. I think that's pretty cool. So, you know, what was that experience? Is there anything there you want to share and maybe how that came to be or what that meant to you to run for the usa?
[00:27:15] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, it's funny, throughout the college career, and I'm so appreciative of the opportunities I had and where I, you know, where I was able to do that at DeSales, I always had wondered, you know, I was at a Division 3 university, and it was great. You know, I went for television and film was the degree I was going for. They had an excellent program. And so I went to school for education. You know, I wasn't going to be some professional, whatever, athlete in terms of, you know, you have a lot of people go to great schools and they want to be professional football players, so they go to the right school for that. But I always wonder what it would have been like if I did go to a D1 program where there was more resources, more coaching staff, just everything. It would have been more in my life than what it was at this D3 school. And so having such a pretty darn, you know, impressive career in college, I wondered, what else could I do? And I was always kind of, I wish I had the opportunity. I think I have, you know, the chops to run on some version of a USA team. You know, I could never be an Olympian. I don't have that caliber. I'm not that pedigree. But I know I could do more than what I did. And so I eventually found trail running. I found that, actually, when I moved to Colorado Springs in 2008. I came out here for a master's degree.
Well, to finish an internship from a master's degree in sports management. And so I was able to get an internship with the United States Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs. So that's how. That was one of my big shifts to Colorado, what really got me started here. But that's also when I started trail running. And I had met a woman named Nancy Hobbs who's affiliated with the American Trail Running Association. She's based in the Springs. And she's also originally from Pennsylvania, too, which is kind of fun because that's where I'm from originally. She was like, you should, you know, get into this trail running. It's great. And she took me out for a few runs, kicked my butt on the first few, and then slowly I picked up on, okay, this is different. Your stride has to shorten and your pace changes when you go uphill. You can't run it like you're running down the road. So you. You know, you figure it out. But. But I still had that competitive edge, that hunger to do more than what I had done in college. And there were some races that I could qualify, races for different USA events. And I was able to get on Team usa, which was the event that was the World Long Distance Championships, and they were held in Interlaken in Switzerland. It was a marathon distance on the trail. The first half was more so on roads, and the second half went all the way up to essentially the face of the Jungfrau. So it was a pretty cool course. Definitely kicked my butt because it was a lot of climbing, that second half, because the first half was short, but we took home first place. So that was such an honor. You know, I've always.
I don't know, I've wanted to represent my country. I love my country, and I worked my tail off in the sport, and I always thought, hey, the next step would be not just to represent my school or my state or, you know, how can I take this, you know, to the next level? And like I said, I know I'd never be, you know, the ability to be an Olympian or something like that. But how could I represent my country and do something in that vein? And that's where I was able to find it. And so I'm very thankful for it. I still have my jersey and other things that you receive when you're able to be on a team. It means a lot to me to have had the opportunity.
[00:30:48] Speaker A: So what year was that?
[00:30:50] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. I know I should know this. I want to say 13, maybe 2013.
[00:30:54] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:30:55] Speaker B: I'll have to off to go back and look, I should know off top of my head, but there's so many dates of things anymore.
[00:31:01] Speaker A: But I'm putting into context that's a few years. Then before you started Trail Sisters.
[00:31:06] Speaker B: Yes, yes.
[00:31:07] Speaker A: And before you would move to Chaffee county, where I'm now going to connect some dots here, that this running career and you going on to trails with that has led you, it seems like, in some way to Chaffee County Search and Rescue, which you are so involved in and have been for several years. And I think you're a training director there now. And you are someone who is. Is it hasty? Do I have their word, right?
[00:31:37] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. Hasty team. Yep.
[00:31:39] Speaker A: So you're on the hasty team, which means that you're one of the people who gets up the mountain faster, gets up the trail faster, gets to the person who is needing your help faster.
There's gotta be a connection, I'm thinking, between everything you've built up in your capacity for running and trails to now you're providing this service in such a meaningful way with Search and Rescue. Am I connecting dots that I shouldn't be? I mean, or does that make sense?
[00:32:06] Speaker B: No, no, it totally does. And I was the training director for three years. I've been on the team for a total of five. And this year I've. I'm now the vice president for Chaffee County Search and Rescue North. But I was our training director for three years. But, yeah, you know, giving back and getting involved with community is near and dear to me. And I. It's funny, I didn't realize that was what it was to me until more recently. You know, again, hindsight's 20 20, where you start to see those trends in your life and why you do things. But, you know, with running encouraging people to get out on the trails and enjoy, I kind of thought, well, you know, it'd be nice to be able to go out and help people that, you know, have a rough day or, you know, an injury or an accident. So how could I give back and help pull Those people off the mountain. So. But I mean, along with that, it's just such a great community. You know, we're all volunteers. You go out there and you help because you want to help. And I love the outdoors, I love the trails. So this is also an opportunity to spend more time outside. But doing it in a way that, you know, obviously there's a different purpose when we're out there on a mission to go, you know, rescue somebody or search for somebody. But it's been a lot of fun. The team is incredible. It's a whole new group of family members as well. You know, I've lived most of my life in this outdoor industry, you know, running community, if you will. And so you, it turns out to be really small after a while because, you know, so many people, different brands and media organizations and then just, you know, everyday runners, you run into them quite a bit at different races and such. But Search and Rescue is a whole different group of folks. And so having the ability to kind of mix with them is, I don't know, I've learned quite a bit just from their backgrounds and their lives and things they've done, and it's been pretty darn neat.
[00:33:54] Speaker A: I'm curious to know more about Search and rescue kind of broadly here, but sticking with the Hasty Team for a moment. I am curious if that means that you run up the trails to get to somebody. Are you with a heavy pack? And so we're talking about maybe speed hiking, but the running has helped you because you've developed this capacity to do that, or what does that really mean?
[00:34:16] Speaker B: Okay, so for Hasty Team, we have a role. You always have to go with somebody else. You should never be out there blazing the trail by yourself to get to a subject or to start searching. So you should always go into pairs and if there's more, that's fine, but definitely two. And generally you can really only move as fast as the other person that you're with or the group that you're with. There's been a few missions I've been on where we've been able to do like a light trot. It's hard to actually do a full blown run or jog, if you will, just because you will be carrying some version of gear more so than you might be on a trail run with just your little lightweight hydration pack or something. Right. But the Hasty Team, if we know what if there are known injuries, if we have contact with the subject and there's things we know we can bring up, we'll take them with us if it's, hey, their SOS is going off but we don't have any communication. We're really, we're not sure of what they need. Then it's generally we'll take some vital gear, hot packs, things like that to warm people up and some just basic first aid, things like that. We'll take that up. But once we arrive is when we radio back to the team, hey, are we going to need a litter? Are we going to need a helicopter flight out? What, what other things might we need to help this subject and make them more comfortable?
So generally you move fairly lightweight when you're on a hasty team and you do move a lot more quickly than you would with some of the other groups that would be deployed after. So. But yeah, you really can only go as fast as the other person you're with. But we have a decent amount of people in the team that can cruise. I'd say we have maybe a few people can jog, but the other group of hasty members, you know, can do quite, I'd say a very quick hike because it's, you know, if you're wearing boots it makes it hard to jog up the trail too.
[00:36:07] Speaker A: Sure, sure. What strikes me about this is the real world application of your running and trail abilities for something that's so important. Like it's just, it's not something I've thought about and to be honest, this is why I want to learn more about search and rescue and what we have going on here. Because I know that this group exists. My understanding is that it's volunteer based, it's not funded by the state or anything like that. And I don't think we, I mean I've not needed you to show up for me yet, so I don't have that direct connection.
[00:36:39] Speaker B: You don't ever have to.
[00:36:40] Speaker A: Yeah, well, yeah, right, right. But it also means that I feel like I'm less aware of what all you all are doing out there. I don't know how many calls a year you might be doing. I don't like this is, this is just some potentially, well, dangerous and risky work and also just so important to our community.
[00:36:58] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I mean for us, Chaffey County Search and Rescue north, it's about 60s on average per year. And we, you know, the majority of rescues or searches are, are generally the summertime, warmer weather. But we do have some things in the winter and that's usually snow machine related. We don't have, I mean I'm sure there's, you can do backcountry skiing here, but there's not as much as some other areas of the state. But yeah, it's interesting. One thing I can say is, like, I love that people get out there and they're enjoying it. I always think of it as like, please take a little bit more than what you think you might need. You know, if you get into a pickle, please have something that, you know, can take care of you or make your time on the trail more comfortable before search and rescue can. Can reach you. One thing that folks tend to think is, okay, I'm hurt. I do have communication with, you know, the sheriff's department or whatever, any version of communication to go get help, but they expect us to be there in like an hour. And I'm like, it doesn't. We're not that fast, you know, and it's not because we don't want to be. It's just the process, right? Like, by the time, you know, the call comes in, it goes to dispatch. Then dispatch, you know, sends out the page to whoever is our incident commander. So it's the person that's on call that will then wrangle whatever volunteer search and rescue members are available. Because again, we're all volunteer. You know, you might, you know, maybe it's midday and you're at your 9 to 5 or your 8 to 5, or, you know, maybe it's in the middle of the night and, you know, it just. Who's. So then we all meet at the bay. That's what we call a kind of headquarters or where everything stays staged, come up with the plan, which has kind of been happening throughout this entire process with the incident commander. And then we, you know, get in the vehicles, we're deployed to the trailhead or wherever we need to go. And then we, you know, once we're there, we'll get our gear together, make sure we're good to go, rehash a few more, here's what's going on in terms of the plan, and then we start up the trail. So it can take a couple hours before we get to the subject. So it's never super quick. You know, if there's.
If we know that there needs to be a helicopter involved and we're able to get them requested, they're free or available. You know, we use reach and flight for life, and sometimes we use Canyon City Helitec, depending on the situation. But they're also dealing with a lot of other issues. You know, car, like, you know, flying from hospital to hospital. So they're not always available. So or if there's bad weather. So it's not always like, oh, a sure bet you can get a helicopter. And there's a cost that comes with reach and flight for life. Right. You know, so it's, they're not free rides. So anybody listening that thinks, you know, hey, you get tired and you want a helicopter ride, you're going to pay for it. They, to be honest, they usually won't take something unless it's very much needed, you know, but you know, that sometimes can be a little quicker. Right. They can stop at the bay, pick up one or two members from search and rescue that have a medical background, then they'll drop them, you know, on a ridgeline or where it makes sense. And then those folks can get to the subject much more quickly. But we're talking head injury, severe, severe injuries, and then they can get lifted out. So that might be a bit quicker. But if we're, if we're going up hiking wise and we're carrying litters, it does take time. So everybody that's listening, definitely, please take a little bit more with you than you think you might need. Just because if you are in a predicament and doesn't matter how good of a hiker or runner or cyclist, whatever, you could be an ace. But sometimes Mother Nature has a different. And if you wreck your bike or screw up your ankle and you're the best in the business, it happens.
[00:40:38] Speaker A: So I think sometimes, maybe a lot of times, we underestimate the power of Mother Nature.
[00:40:44] Speaker B: Oh yeah.
[00:40:45] Speaker A: And overestimate our own abilities.
[00:40:47] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:40:48] Speaker A: And we get ourselves into situations. We're clearly talking about a lot of moving pieces here, a lot of resources.
Somehow this is being paid for. I mentioned it being a volunteer force.
Can you explain that? I feel like that might be something that a lot of people either have a misconception about, just plain don't understand.
How does all of this work? How's it being paid for? And I guess as an added question, I'm kind of curious, why is this volunteer? Why do we not have in Colorado? Why is this not. Maybe it's a state funded agency of some kind.
[00:41:23] Speaker B: So I mean, how locally, how we're able to fund ourselves is obviously through a lot of fundraising efforts, grants. That's generally how it works. Right. Because you know, there might be a line item from Chaffee county, through the sheriff's department that also awards, you know, a little bit of funding for both north and south because we have two teams because our district is so, so large. But yeah, it's it's generally grant funded. They're the only person within the state that gets paid as a search and rescue member, if you will, is the Colorado Search and Rescue president, to my understanding. So it's the only person that's paid for search and rescue efforts at all. And that person kind of takes care of the entire, you know, kind of takes takes care of all the search and rescue groups throughout the state in every county. So. But yeah, you know, we do get some funding also through Parks and Wildlife, through, you know, as people purchase licensing and permits for hunting, fishing, there's usually a little bit of a percentage that will come back that will go to those grant programs and things like that. But there's no big bucket of money that is just there for search and rescue. It's. We'll sit there and you actually will end up spending money to volunteer for search and rescue because we take, for the most part, we have a few vehicles, but then we'll take our own vehicles to trailheads. You pay for your own gas if you're not using, if you're not in one of the search and rescue vehicles. So you use your own gear.
Now, if something happens to your gear and it gets damaged or lost, there are funds from cosar, some other programs where it can be refunded. You can get new gear. But at the end of the day, the wear and tear, you know, you're actually putting into, you're spending money to be a part of these organizations.
[00:43:14] Speaker A: So I is cosar, Colorado Search and Rescue.
[00:43:17] Speaker B: The Cosar cards, there are these little cards that people can purchase that go essentially helps to fund organizations and provide the opportunity to replace things like search and rescue gear that people lose.
I know there's a lot of trail races that actually require you to get a COSAR card. They're like five bucks. But it's, I don't want to say it's like a, it's not like a fundraising program, but it's not like a permit. But it's just a way, I think, to give back to the local organization to help us out. So I think you could think of as like a minor fundraiser.
[00:43:51] Speaker A: But okay, if I need a helicopter ride or something, if I need all of you to come out there, am I going to be charged something? Do I need to worry about, I'm out there, I break an ankle hiking someplace maybe I shouldn't have been or whatever the case is, am I going to end up with thousands and thousands of dollars of medical bills that, you.
[00:44:12] Speaker B: Know, I'll regret Well, because I'm no doctor, so I can't tell you about all of that. But in terms of what Search and Rescue does, no, we, everything's free. We come out there, we help you out. You're not, there's, you do not owe anything to Colorado Search and Rescue like that.
[00:44:26] Speaker A: That's the part I mean. Sure, yeah. No, no, no. All the doctors and everything after that. Yeah, that's a separate issue.
[00:44:31] Speaker B: The helicopter, so Canyon City Heltech, so they're state funded helicopter service. They do a lot of firefighting actually wildlife or wildfire firefighting. And so if flight for life or reach is unavailable and Canyon City helic is, sometimes they'll be able to come out and that's. I don't. They don't. There's no charge to my understanding from them because the state funding and they're kind of a backup, if you will. But for reach and Flight for life, I mean, they're coming to get you because you're in a serious medical situation and so they'll take you straight to a hospital.
And so that's, you know, but to be honest, at the end of the day, if you're that beat up that you need a helicopter flight out, it's, it's, you know, it's probably worth it. It's that or your life. So.
[00:45:19] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:45:19] Speaker B: Right. And I don't know the costs that necessarily go along with it and people can refuse it. If you're unconscious though, and you're, you know something, you have internal injuries, you're whatever, we could tell you're bleeding from the head and you're non responsive, we're not going to be like, let's just wheel them out on the litter. We'll probably just get you the helicopter and, and people do have insurance, so at least most people hopefully, you know, and they can hopefully help with that. But there are some insurance programs that you can purchase specifically for things like that. I don't, I couldn't tell you the name of the organization that you can utilize, but I know they exist. So I've had people say, oh, I actually Pay, you know, $10 a month or whatever it is for this extra service with my insurance in case.
[00:46:06] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:46:07] Speaker B: So I know there are things that exist, but anyhow, yeah, it's hard for.
[00:46:11] Speaker A: Me not to think about the costs when it comes to our healthcare.
[00:46:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:46:15] Speaker A: You know, I think about those things and just wonder because I would, I would, I mean, I don't want to take us down on some side lane here that's less relevant but because we're talking about it, I just think about one of the last things I want to do is have something significant happen to me where I am creating some sort of financial stress or even catastrophe, which is possible for my family.
[00:46:35] Speaker B: Right.
[00:46:36] Speaker A: Because of. Because of unknown price tags on things, you know, so that's just where I'm coming from. It's a personal fear kind of place for me.
[00:46:45] Speaker B: On that note, real quick.
[00:46:47] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:46:47] Speaker B: I can say this with the whole fear factor of things, because there's a lot of people are like, ah, I'm scared to go in the woods because what if a mountain lion will get me in? You know, So I don't want to go. And I'm like, you have a better chance of getting in an accident going to the grocery store than you ever do having an issue out on the trails or in the mountains, regardless of whatever it is that you're doing. So I hope that the fear of those things doesn't keep people away from enjoying the amazing, you know, opportunity of recreation or whatever it is, because I'm like, we've better chance of getting ourselves in trouble doing everyday life things in town. But anyhow, just as a side note.
[00:47:24] Speaker A: Just, we could take fear in a lot of directions.
[00:47:27] Speaker B: Yes, yes, yes.
[00:47:29] Speaker A: Okay, let's talk about, you know, if we continue this idea of how you serve and how you show up for others. And, you know, we're talking about, with trail sisters, that's about community. We're talking about search and rescue and the ways you want to contribute to the community and help others. Well, you, somewhere along the way here in recent years, got into local politics and, you know, these elected positions as a town trustee, which for someone who's not from here, you know, that's equivalent to city council.
And then you recently won your election for Chaffey county commissioner, so congratulations on that.
[00:48:05] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:48:06] Speaker A: I am curious what it's like to show up in a ballot booth and. Or however you do it. I suppose we do it at home. We can turn them in early here. Yeah, but just to see your name on a ballot, to be able to vote for yourself, what does that feel like?
[00:48:19] Speaker B: Well, that was pretty wild. It was weird and cool at the same time. It's like, wow, all right, we're doing this.
Obviously at that point you're like, well, you better be ready for, you know, whatever shakes. But. But it was. It was pretty cool, you know, pretty hard to get to that point. And so it was just exciting feeling, you know, hoping other people see that name. And we're Excited to put a check marks by it, you know, so you.
[00:48:42] Speaker A: Obviously at that point have been campaigning for, I don't know, however many months, you know, a year. I don't know how long that goes. It just seems like a moment that really crystallizes. I'm really the candidate. Like, I know I've been talking about it. Well, I think of it this way sometimes when you're trying to get a job. Yeah, you put a lot of effort into trying to sell yourself to get the job. But then there's also that moment where you're like, oh, I actually now am committed and have to do this job. Should I be hired? Right. And this is kind of a really long and wild, maybe challenging, maybe fun job interview you're doing for thousands of people in the county. And then there's that moment where you're looking at the ballot, you're like, wow, so this whole thing really is like, it's tied to a real thing.
[00:49:30] Speaker B: Yeah, here we go. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. It was the longest job interview of my life. And it's funny because I've been doing Trail Sisters for years before, you know, running for office here for county commissioner. And with Trail Sisters, you know, it was my own creation. I didn't really apply for a job for that. You know, I created what it is and how that, how it functions. So it's been a long time since I've actually gone into, you know, an interview in a sense. Right. But this, I started in, I announced in, I believe it was February. So it had been, you know, pretty much the, the full year before November comes and you can, you know, do the thing and vote and so. But it was really exciting. There's also those moments of, you know, wow, this is a lot, you know, campaigning is, well, running, you know, doing a full time job and a trustee and doing search and rescue and there's other things that I'm a part of. It was, it's a lot. You know, I know it's different for everybody that wants to run, but there's some folks that, you know, maybe are retired and they're going into it or they don't have a lot of other things on their plate. And I was envious of the fact, like, man, I wish I had more time to campaign, but it's hard to do so many things all at once because your life doesn't stop in the other worlds where you're campaigning. At least it didn't for me. You know, I have a family and I gotta do my thing for, you know, so so it was really interesting. But I love meeting with people. I love learning more about what's important to them.
What do they see, what do they want to see in the future. And so for me, it was a lot of fun to get out there and meet with folks. And you did the door knocking. You do a lot of events where you have to just go and speak and you're kind of just providing people obviously your thoughts. You put your website together, you know, the whole, whole slew of what it takes to be, I guess, a candidate and do a good job campaigning. You go through those motions and it was fun. But there's also those moments of this is a lot.
But if you can't get through your campaign, then I don't know why, why you're running, you know, so you got to embrace it. Yeah.
[00:51:38] Speaker A: If you don't have the energy for it and the passion and the interest and the right, you know, we talk about what is your why for. Maybe it's trail running, maybe it's for something else and for this. If you don't have a good solid why that you are passionately connected to. Yeah, yeah, maybe, yeah, maybe it's not the thing, the job you really want.
[00:51:56] Speaker B: Right, right. Well, that's the thing is like I don't know why anybody run for something like this if they weren't wholeheartedly involved in it and ready to, you know, just have to have that why and be excited. You know, for me is sustainable future for generations to come. And I'm really passionate about the outdoors and preservation and protections for our lands, our water, our wildlife. And then obviously housing is a big thing here and trying to find more affordable options. And how do we collaborate across the entire valley in making that happen? Then also the economy was another part of my platform, making sure that we have more year round opportunities. We're hot and heavy in the summer with tourism, which is great. That will always be a part, part of, I think, the economics of what makes Chaffey county run. But we really need to diversify that and have more and we can't just rely on that all the time. And you know, I think those three things together, the funny thing is they're all somewhat related. Right. A lot of people come here because they love the outdoors and you know, to live here it's really expensive. So how do we make the housing work? And you know, it's just how do you, if you like when it comes to the economic side or owning a business, you know, you need people to work in these businesses. But if they can't afford a home, how does, you know, how does that work? And then how do you keep your business running? So everything's intertwined. And so the end of the day, for a sustainable future, in my opinion, we need to really work on our balance. You know, we can't just focus on one area or the other. We need to be uplifting all these different areas and making sure that we're doing it kind of the best we can simultaneously. But it's not easy. You know, if it was easy, I think we'd have all the answers and we wouldn't have issues in, you know, in any situation. But nobody has all the answers, so.
[00:53:38] Speaker A: We would have already solved it.
[00:53:39] Speaker B: Exactly right.
[00:53:40] Speaker A: It's not for lack of will.
[00:53:41] Speaker B: No, that's for sure.
[00:53:42] Speaker A: It's because of the process, and we all are connected in it, and we all need to kind of take our place in helping find those solutions, I think, and bring them about.
[00:53:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:53:54] Speaker A: The other thing I was curious about, you know, you see your name on the ballot. What does that feel like? Well, what does it feel. Feel like election night? You know, the anticipation? Is this going to go the way we want or not?
I watched the documentary, the short film that was made of you, which I also want to talk about. But the reason I bring it up in this moment is because I got to see I wasn't there on election night with you and the group of supporters.
And so through that window of the documentary, I'm like, yeah, this is public. Right. You're. You're standing there with people who, yes, they're there to support you. They love you personally. Because we tend to look through our own filters. Right. I'm like, oh, will I feel embarrassed if I don't? How am I going to feel? Am I going to feel loved because I didn't? Or what's it feel like when I do? Right. How exciting and fun is that? I guess I'm just curious. What does that feel like to you at the other end of that day, that into that night, where you're like, we're going to find out whether this campaign went the direction we wanted it to.
[00:54:58] Speaker B: Right, Right. Well, nerves. Of course, there's nerves. But I'd ask myself earlier in the day, I mean, maybe say, hey, you asked yourself this way too late. But I was thinking, did I do everything I could have done? Is there anything else I could have done? And I started thinking, like, well, maybe a little bit here and there, but to make an impact that would sway this thing one way or the other. No, I don't think so. I think I gave it my all and I worked my tail off and had a great support group. My husband was amazing. I couldn't have done it without his support. I mean, I had lots of support from fabulous people from across the valley, but, man, having that key person there for you every day and night because he got to hear all the things good and bad, you know, I wanted.
[00:55:40] Speaker A: To ask you about him. Justin is your husband.
I've only seen from afar. Right. And kind of through the campaign thing, I've seen him drive the van that has your name on it. And of course, again, looking. If we use the film as an example, he was there. And he's. He just looked so positive and smiley and supportive and like, they're, you know, full of love in all of this. Will. Okay. I actually follow you on Instagram, so I see the two of you. That's probably how I see him the most. I'm just curious what this experience was like for him, if there's anything that you can speak to on his behalf there and the two of you together, honestly, to go through this. Sure.
Experience of campaigning for something that's a public role together.
[00:56:22] Speaker B: Sure. Well, before the decision was made to move forward with it, you know, I told him I would really like to go for this opportunity. I'd really like to, you know, run for county commissioner. But I asked him, you know, what do you think? Or how do you feel about this? Because if I do this, there's no way that you're not impacted by it. Whether you. No matter how much involvement you want to have or don't want to have, you know, it will impact our lives. How do you feel about this? And he was. And, you know, he's like, well, I'm sure it'll be a lot, but, you know, I'm here for you, and I, you know, I'm. I'm there with you. I think it would be great. I fully support you, and I'm on board, and we'll figure out how to, you know, what the needs are and how we can work through it as we go. But I needed to have his buy in before I could ever do it, because there's no way. It wouldn't. It wouldn't be fair to us in our relationship and our life. You know, it just. If I were to, in my opinion, go forward with that without him wanting to, you know, wanting it for both of us. And so. But once, you know, he was like, all right, let's do it. And I was like, all right, here we go. Yeah, it's. It's a lot. He. I'm very lucky because, you know, even with Trail Sisters, it's the same thing. You know, that was something I created and then eventually he stepped into a little later.
But we both have different skill sets and it's created a terrific pairing, I think, for some of the things that we do. You know, he understands the technology aspect and he's. He can do graphics and just there's his. I always. He's great with operations, you know, and then there's me and I'm more of a people person, so I'm always involved. Where's a restaurant? I'm front of house, he's back of house. And so with Trail Sisters, he's been so supportive. And I mean, that's a women focused organization. And for him to be like, hey, I'm going to work with you. We're going to do this together. And I like to believe that it's something everybody can embrace. But I always think it's, you know, how it must feel for him to be supporting, you know, a big women's focus or big women's push, you know, as a man, you know, and not that obviously you hope everybody loves everybody, everybody wants to help everybody all the way around. But I can't imagine he was, you know, 20, was like, hey, I can't wait to, you know, work for Trail Sisters organization. You know what I mean? Yeah, sure, you think of like that and. But he's been so supportive in everything I've done and I couldn't have found a better partner. So I'm very thankful for everything he's done. And throughout the campaign, you know, I'm not going to lie, we've had our spirited conversations, but I think that's healthy and normal. So it gets tough. But I think at the end of everything, that election night was a weight off of both of our shoulders because I think we both felt as though we couldn't have, you know, we couldn't have done anything more. So wherever the cards were that came out of the pile of the deck, that's what it was going to be. And we were ready to accept whatever it was. I remember I made a little announcement or speech to the group before the results came in. So I thought, well, you know, I really hope it goes my way, but if it doesn't, you know, I'd like to have this out of the way and thanking everybody and, you know, just showing my appreciation for everything beforehand because of. I don't know how my mind would have been functioning afterwards or if my thank you would have come out, you know, as the same way, if you will.
[00:59:48] Speaker A: That makes sense.
[00:59:49] Speaker B: Yeah. So I just, I wanted everybody to know how much I appreciated them beforehand.
[00:59:53] Speaker A: And not wait until the emotion of whatever kind that might be right is maybe overwhelming in a way that you can't anticipate or, you know, and let me find the words now.
[01:00:03] Speaker B: Yes. And you know what we do share. So with my election, it was the same as the presidential election and I was really, I wanted to go someplace where there wasn't any TVs or anything so we could just focus on here locally, what's going on. And that I thought was really special, you know, just, it was nice just to have a community event there where we could just focus on, hey, what's going to shake out here? And so that was really important to me too. And that was good thinking.
[01:00:28] Speaker A: Yeah, I didn't think of that when I watched the film, but that makes a lot of sense.
[01:00:31] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I just, you know, that's what's important to me is here and being able to get involved here and do what I can for this community. And I was like, yeah, I don't want to go somewhere where everybody might be focused on everything else and you know, whether, you know, it doesn't matter which way it goes for whoever's listening, you know, that's fine. But for me it was really important just to have a local community based thing. And the election results come in fairly quickly here locally. I mean, presidential stuff can take a long time traditionally, but. So I knew we'd have the results fairly early and if people wanted to go on to do other things, they had, they would have the opportunity. But, but.
So there was all kinds of different emotions that night, obviously. But you know, I was just, I'm like, here we go around 7:30, I think is when we get the, you know, the first drop that would come in and you just kind of bite in your lip the whole time. And then we're all refreshing our phones to see what the state site says. And you know, we saw the results. We could, you know, exhale and it was, it went my way. And then you wait for other drops because when the polls close up here in BV, you still have, you know, was it 7:00 then? They still have to drive all those ballots down to, I'm sorry, all the, yeah, all the ballots down to the county in Salida, this county building. And then they have to process them. So you know, there's going to be another, you know, update to the results after that. So. But you're just kind of wondering what else is left in the universe, how much came in from the last pickup to when the polls close. So usually that first announcement of results is the largest. So you can, unless it's really close in the standings, you have a good idea of where you stand. And so that's where the exhale kind of came early on at that one and. But, you know, I really appreciated the race with everybody though. There's great candidates and it was really nice getting to know the people I was running against and their thoughts and kind of what was important to them. You know, as a county commissioner, we're here to. We work for everybody. We don't work for one group or the other one person. You know, we're here to help everybody of this county. And so I think hearing everybody's voices and their needs and their visions, that's all important to me. So I look forward to that opportunity.
[01:02:47] Speaker A: This documentary, this film that I referred to is called the Candidate.
[01:02:51] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:02:51] Speaker A: And so it followed you along this process of running for county commissioner. And I'm really curious. I love to watch documentaries. I actually trail running. I watch a lot of those. I watch all kinds of them. And I'm always wondering what is it like to be that person, the regular citizen. We're not talking about like a Hollywood actor that's used to scripted time in front of the camera. What's it like to have a camera? I don't know if it's a crew or one person that was with you.
Just getting used to the idea that there's an observer here. There's this camera capturing it and I'm going about my life. I'm not performing, I'm not. What does it feel like to have that going on? And you know, however much of the time it was.
[01:03:33] Speaker B: Yeah, it was, it was. Was a super cool opportunity. It's a friend of mine, Matt Trapp. He. I've known him for years in the trail run space, in the running business. He, you know, we're friends. He's following along with kind of what I've been doing with my life and here bv and now at the county, he's like, hey, I would love to, you know, I want to bring back short stories and you know, and this was more anybody. It's. The film's for anybody. But, you know, the tie with the trail running background was really important to him and kind of displaying that especially for the trail run Audience that, hey, there's people doing unique things outside of just running, if you will. So he's like, I would love to, you know, capture kind of a little bit of your year in the campaign. And, you know, it doesn't matter how it ends up. It's just showing what else you do and how, how important that can be for people in terms of, you know, what else might you be contributing to your community or how else can you get involved or just to inspire people. And so anyhow, and so it was all pro bono work, you know, he just did because he wanted to, which was very nice of him that, you know, putting films together is not cheap. And so he came out a few times and would follow along. And to answer your question about what it felt like, there's times like, all right, this is super exciting, you know, and there's times like, oh, gosh, did I just say something stupid?
You know, like, oh, you know, you just think about, you know, seeing I got to see like a first edit and you're like, I'm like, oh, gosh. The first time we sat down outside and kind of went through the interview process where I'm sitting in the chair and kind of just sharing a little bit. It's like, that was really early on and like, oh, man. Probably would have had more to say on that now because I've learned more, you know, through the, like, anything. You learn more as you go. So some of the things I'm, oh, gosh, I sound so silly there. But, you know, so you think about that throughout the process, but, you know, but you just be yourself and you know, I didn't, I'm not from a background. I don't have a unique upbringing, you know, so I kind of think I'm a normal person. Dad was a teacher, my mom was a nurse. I did grew up in Pennsylvania. So I'm not from Colorado originally. I've lived here since about 2, but I actually come from a blue collar slate coring, you know, area region, you know, which kind of mimics a little bit of the mining history out here and tons of farming back home. Granted a lot smaller acreage, but it's same thing back there. So there's a lot of things that kind of fit in place for me of relatability to being out here. But I didn't, you know, come from a background that was destined to, oh, I want to go into politics when I get older. I kind of found it through just wanting to get involved and help out and help with progress. And I don't know, give back to the community that I love so much. For me, that's where it ties the trail sisters. Because I did that because I wanted to take care of a community that I cared for so much. What else could I do besides talking about it? What action item could I. Could I take to make a difference? And then that's where I jumped to the trustee and I was like, well, I love, I love bv. What else can I do here? How can I make an impact for my local community? And I was able to get on, you know, the board of trustees and then it kind of, you know, what else can I do for the county? It just kind of escalated to a bigger grouping. But it comes down to the core of just caring for, I think, the things that are most important to me. And it's, it's in my running group and it's my neighbors, my community that I live here with in Chaffey County.
[01:06:59] Speaker A: So you mentioned your parents and I wonder if they or maybe some others, basically, who or what do you feel like maybe instilled in you this confidence? We've talked about the belief that you could accomplish so many things and contribute to community in so many ways.
[01:07:19] Speaker B: That's a good one.
[01:07:20] Speaker A: Like, I look at you and I see somebody who is dynamic, very busy, very energetic, very accomplished across a number of things.
[01:07:29] Speaker B: So, you know, I can tell you, like, collect my thoughts. Right now the ADD is going all over. So.
So I would say the confidence has probably come through from. And I'm not confident in everything. I like there's certain things I feel much more.
Well, I believe you are human. Right, right, right, right. So not everything do I feel great with, but. But it's come from a variety of things.
But I remember when I was younger, a little kid, I guess I don't know how old, but young enough. Probably at grade school. Not.
There must have been an opportunity or something. And I remember I was too shy to say, oh, I want to do that or how do I do that? Can I get involved? I don't even remember what it was, but I remember going home and telling my mom and my dad, like, ah, this happened. I didn't saying, oh, well, you gotta speak up, like next time, like if you want it, you have to go after it, you know. And it wasn't necessarily something that they were pushing to be like, oh, this is confidence. But it was just saying it without saying it. I guess it was like, yeah, you have to be confident enough to just put yourself out there and reach for whatever it was that I wanted. And I have always thought about that, like, well, if I want something, I just better go for it. I'll figure out the rest along the way. But if I don't put myself out there, I won't get there. And I think I've just, through that process, have slowly picked a, I don't know, little pieces here and there to help bolster some version of confidence. And again, there's some things I feel great in. Other areas, I'm like, oh, gosh, you know, I feel like a leaf getting blown around on a tree, you know, just all over the place. So I'd say my parents really helped, and then teachers and then just friends throughout the running industry, you know, or that I've run with for years, just surrounding myself, hopefully. Well, it seems to be with the right folks that have helped grow that for me and helped me believe in me. And, I mean, my husband is always. He's a big proponent of that. There's times where he'd be like, oh, get your head on straight, you know, put your big girl pants on and get out there and go do it. And, like, he's right. What am I worried about? I can do this, you know, so it's not any one specific thing, but I do remember the moment when somebody told me that if I want something, I need to. I need to go after it. And so that came from a younger age. And I never looked back with not asking or not standing up for what it was.
[01:09:50] Speaker A: So you mentioned add. I feel like sometimes people will say something like that as sort of a quippy, jokey. Oh, my brain is scattered right now. But they're not necessarily referring to that actually being part of their lives. Right, but you are. That is part of your life.
[01:10:06] Speaker B: Yes.
[01:10:07] Speaker A: You, I think, had a diagnosis for add. Adhd.
[01:10:13] Speaker B: Yeah, adhd.
[01:10:15] Speaker A: Did the name shift at some point? Is it. I feel like ADHD is more what it's referred to now. Is it the same thing?
[01:10:20] Speaker B: I think it's the same thing, yeah.
[01:10:22] Speaker A: So you did receive that diagnosis when you were how old?
[01:10:27] Speaker B: I believe it was third grade, I think, is when I. Yeah, I think I remember my mom always being like, there's, you know, this kid's got a lot of energy and the focus is all over the place by. I think it was. It was either second or third grade one.
[01:10:43] Speaker A: Pretty young, it sounds like.
[01:10:44] Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah. I remember going to. I don't know, it was a doctor's office. And you just. I felt like a Frankenstein thing. And this is. I don't Know what they do now? So this might sound bananas, but I remember they put little things, you know, in my head and they just told.
[01:10:58] Speaker A: Me to, like electrode type thing.
[01:11:00] Speaker B: Yeah, something like that. And I remember just like sleeping or taking a break or like, like just rest here. And then they came back and. Yeah, I know, a long time ago. So I don't know what they do now, but. But I remember that. And, yeah, and then whatever results came back. I just remember my parents saying, well, looks like you have adhd. And so, I mean, like, like I said, it was a long time ago, but I didn't quite understand what anything meant. I just knew that, oh, I was going to probably take, you know, medication or, you know, a pill for. To help keep me more calm and focused is, I think, the best way to put it from what I understood as a, you know, small child.
[01:11:39] Speaker A: Right.
[01:11:39] Speaker B: You know, one in the morning before school, and then I'd visit the, the school nurse at lunchtime for. To take the second one. So that's. And then I went. I think it was 10th or 11th grade when I decided I was not going to take any more medication for adhd. But I'd taken it through that timeframe. I think it was Ritalin was what they had way back when. And then I think they finally made a better medication, which was Adderall. So I. Which was better because, man, Ritalin would make my stomach feel horrible. It was anyway, probably more than you need to know, but, well, as you.
[01:12:19] Speaker A: Know, because I've mentioned before now that this hits a little closer to home for me because we are going through this process as a family, you know, with me, as a parent to a son who we are having, you know, assessment. And there seems to be a lot of challenge for him and what he's experiencing and what I have learned.
I think a lot of people think of ADHD if they have no relationship to it. They think high energy, won't stay seated, bouncing off the walls, just hyperactive. But what I am learning is that there's a lot more involved in it than that. And that can involve family dynamics. It can involve struggles with self esteem, with school performance, with all kinds of things in life. And so I'm curious what you remember of your experience, maybe more broadly than just the idea that you had a lot of energy, because this is something that, well, you've had a lot of years now to learn how to work with and what that experience maybe was for you as a child and then as an adult and maybe what you've learned and can help kind of shine light on. For those of us who are unaware or still learning. What does it mean to have ADHD be part of your life?
[01:13:34] Speaker B: So let's see here. You know, as a kid, as a kid, I didn't understand it and thought it was a hindrance or it was, I want to say upsetting or it, I don't want to say it hurt my self esteem, but it made me feel like I wasn't like everybody else, you know, and kids could be mean. I remember getting made fun of for having to take a pillow at the, you know, nurse's office at lunch or something and. But you let that stuff roll off. I remember the thing that I had to work on the most was just centering myself and focusing. And I knew I had to do double the work to get to the same spot. Somebody else that didn't deal with that. Right. So hard work for me was ingrained from early on and moving, taking 10 beats forward, I think that's one of the things that has gotten me to where I am today. Because I will outwork anybody. I understand that better than anything else. No matter. It doesn't matter how smart you are or whatever you've got, if you're not willing to work for things, it all comes crumbling down at some point. But if you can work hard, you can get your. You can, you can put yourself in any situation. So if you can embrace being a hard worker, I think it's one of the strongest things anybody can do. And so for me, having ADHD to focus on my homework or tests or whatever, I had to sit there for longer. I had to work harder to memorize or to understand.
[01:15:00] Speaker A: But it wasn't an intellectual thing. It was a matter of being able to focus on the task at hand and on the information in front of you.
[01:15:07] Speaker B: Yes, yes. So that was. Yeah, it would be hard to, you know, I'm like, all right, really think about what you're looking at, digesting the words that you're reading. For me, it was a lot of. Actually, I remember I had a picture quite a bit. I had to see what I was reading. That's how it worked for me. For, you know, depending on who you are, sometimes you need to hear it. Sometimes you, you know, it's. We all learned differently, but for me, it was really a visualization, but I had to teach myself how to, how to do that. But, you know, so younger, it was a little bit more. It was tricky to embrace and understand. But as I've gotten older, like I said, I Stopped taking any Adderall and things like that around 11th grade because I had slowly started to figure out how to utilize, you know, I call it a superpower, to be honest, which sounds maybe silly, but I understand now how to utilize this, how to focus on what it is. And I can be very productive in what it is that I'm working on if I can harness that energy and put it into that one thing mixed with the hard work that goes along with it. And I feel like I can be unstoppable. And somebody might say, okay, there's that. There's that confidence and ego right there. But, I mean, I've. I've. I've done quite a bit utilizing that. That strategy, and it's paid off. It doesn't always work out. Sure. But I think sometimes ADHD gets a bad rap because of kind of like, you know, oh, kids bouncing on their seat, yada, yada. And I understand that, but, you know, it takes anybody a little while, no matter what it might be that you're dealing with. And everybody's dealing with something. Some people have, you know, depression or anxiety or, you know, like every. Everybody's got something. And I think when you are trying to figure out what it is and how it works, it's really tricky. But once you understand how to mitigate it, you are in control and you can be empowered on how to deal with it. And so for me, you know, it's funny those kids that kind of maybe laughed at me as a. As a small kid and having to take this pill at lunch. I've talked to them, you know, way since, you know, as an adult, and they're like, God, we wish we had adhd. We wish you had that energy and the ability to focus, you know, And I always thought that was kind of funny. But, yeah, I get sad hearing stories where people get picked on for things like that. And you're like, oh, you know, and I hurts my heart when you see those kids feel like, oh, there's something wrong with them, or that's what they believe. I'm like, oh, I just want to give them a hug and say, no, you've. You got the superpower, my friend. You just. You'll learn how to harness it and utilize it. But there's. There's so much benefit that can come from it once you understand what it is that you have that you can turn it into great things. That's my mentality on it. But, yeah, it takes that trial and error in figuring it out, but you can get there.
[01:17:51] Speaker A: I want to circle back to wrap this up. Trail Sisters is where we started.
[01:17:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:17:57] Speaker A: So much between the running Trail sisters, your public service, all of these things, that there's so much that is in common across all of that. And so what I want to ask is, what is it that brings you joy, maybe even pride about where you have come to in your life so far that can be specific to Trail Sisters or beyond?
[01:18:19] Speaker B: That's a great question. I mean, I just. We are. This might sound dorky, but I'm rolling with it. We're only on this planet for who knows how long, and as far as I know, we have this one life to live, you know, And I just appreciate the opportunity to be able to, I don't know, help people in whichever way I can so they enjoy their life the best they can. Like, that makes me happy. And it's something I've learned more about myself as I've gotten older. And I just. If I have the. It's not. I don't feel like it's hard for me to go out there and try to do things that I think are beneficial for a lot of people, and it makes me happy to do that, and I hope it, you know, brings more joy to their life. And so through Trail Sisters and everything else, it's just. I don't know, I enjoy helping and trying to create a better situation for folks. Well, they're. Well, they're here. And I don't know, I think simple, maybe sounding and silly, but that's what I guess fuels me and keeps me going every day, is what else can I do to create a good situation for folks that we all have a great life? Well, we're here with everybody, so yeah.
[01:19:23] Speaker A: Thank you for your time and for all this sharing, Gina.
[01:19:26] Speaker B: Sure thing. Thank you. This has been an honor and a great opportunity. So thank you.
[01:19:33] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to the We Are Chaffey Podcast. You can learn more about this episode and others in the show notes at we are chaffypypypypod.com and on Instagram at We Are Chaffee Pot. I invite you to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I also welcome you telling others about the We Are Chaffey Podcast. Help us to keep growing community and connection through conversation. The We Are Chaffey Podcast is supported by Chaffey County Public Health. Thank you to Andrea Carlstrom, Director of Chaffey County Public Health and Environment, and Talisa Martin, Community Advocacy Coordinator for the larger We Are Chaffey Storytelling Initiative. Once again, I'm Adam Williams, host, producer and photographer for the We Are Chaffey Podcast. If you have comments or know someone in Chaffee County, Colorado who I should consider talking with on the podcast, you can email
[email protected] till the next episode, as we say at We Are Chaffey. Share Stories make change.
