SO WHO'S BEHIND THIS ANYWAY?

Hi! My name is Ash Walsh. I am the main female behind the SheWolf Race series, in addition to my beautiful daughter Brook, and some sweet friends who help me out tremendously but would rather stay behind the scenes. I'm a marketing guru, a wife, a mama, and a coach. Perhaps more relavant to this little message here is that I have been a runner of roads, trails, tracks, and mountains for about a decade and a half now! In addition to running them myself, I have years of experience volunteering, organizing, and directing races! My favorite distance to run is the 100 mile distance. In fact, a PERFECT day for me would be spent running alone ALL DAY in the mountains, out of service and away from reality, just getting lost in the miles and solitude of a good run! I am drooling just thinking about it. If I can't get to the mountains though, I'm more than happy to log my miles anywhere and everywhere. Running, walking, and just being outdoors is the lifeblood that keeps me functioning! 🤗

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This being said, after many years of participating in the sport, and even working for an organization that fights human trafficking, I have seen a lot, and have experienced a few very scary moments that left me shaken and unsure if I wanted to continue running outdoors. In recent years, I have also noticed an increase in violence against female runners. I felt like all others do -- outraged, angry, and heartbroken. However, I had zero intentions of cowering from this evil. I refused to let it steal my joy. Instead, I continued to sharpen my self-defense skills, and continued to adapt and learn how to keep myself safe while running. In doing so, I felt compelled to encourage and equip my fellow women runners to do the same. This is why I developed She Wolf Races! 

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 WHY "SHE WOLF"? 

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I remember telling my husband once, "I'm not a sitting duck. I'm a wolf. If you're coming after me, you're gonna get a nasty freakin' fight." I have said that many times, and because of this the She Wolf race name was born.

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For me, She Wolf Races is me "doing something" instead of just talking about how things need to change. My dream for She Wolf Races is to promote safety alongside an active and empowering lifestyle for women. I want women to get outdoors, to live life to the fullest, to feel strong, empowered, and capable! I want the next generation of female athletes to live fiercely. Each race we put on will coincide with a self-defense course created exclusively for female runners and walkers. Race swag and raffles will include self-defense items and will promote / support female business owners. Each race will also host training runs and virtual groups to connect female runners with one another. There is safety and strength in numbers!

Additionally, I want the profits from the races to fund a new nonprofit organization called HelpHer Georgia that will work to help single women in crisis situations get back on their feet by offering free services such as private investigating, lawyer needs, therapy, life coaching, childcare, help with rent, personal training, and direct connections to safe houses. 

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Oh, and for all the fellas out there, though our events are catered to females, you are absolutely welcome to participate and support! In fact, if you do not want to participate in the self-defense course, you can donate your ticket to any woman in your life free of charge. 

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 LOOKING FORWARD 

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Our first event will take place on September 9th in Lawrenceville, GA and will contain a road race of 13.1mi, 10k, & 5k. We have gained a bit of traction the last couple months and are already in talks with two other locations and hope to have a race for Florida and North Carolina as well in 2024! I am so incredibly grateful for the support and excitement the races have been given so far, and I hope the dream can continue to thrive!

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I hope you will join me in supporting this new mission. Thanks again for the support and for letting me share my heart! 

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