Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird

Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird

This past August, we launched our Year of the Underbird program: an open application for aspiring Olympic Trials marathoners, with a promise to select 5 women for a 6 month contract encompassing a stipend, gear, storytelling, and community support. As we reach the end of our flight with our selected athletes, we invited each of them to share a few reflections on their past 6 months as teammates.
March 01, 2024 — Justine Fédronic
Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes

Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes

We are honored to support five exceptional Black women athletes challenging norms in the running industry: athletes, advocates, and powerful voices in the sport. We invited each of them to reflect on their journeys through sport: how their identity has affected their development, and how they hope to impact the rising generation of athletes. Hear from Madie Boreman, Kendra Coleman, Brenna Detra, Carmen Pelar Graves, and Ari Hendrix-Roach.
February 23, 2024 — Justine Fédronic
Learn, Grow, Pass It On: Increasing Access to Adaptive Sports

Learn, Grow, Pass It On: Increasing Access to Adaptive Sports

Paralympian, pushrim athlete, and Oiselle Haute Volée, Jenna Fesemyer, continues to pave the way and inspire the next generation of wheelchair athletes. She is committed to increasing access to adaptive sports, including access to equipment and training resources, and recently co-hosted a wheelchair clinic for young athletes in Columbus, Ohio.
February 09, 2024 — Jenna Fesemyer
Elena Hayday: The Therapeutic Relief of Running

Elena Hayday: The Therapeutic Relief of Running

Our final 2024 Year of the Underbird feature, Elena Hayday, shares her story of living with depression and how it accompanied her journey in running. What manifested as overachieving at a young age, transitioned into burnout in college, the mishandling of her treatment, and ultimately leaving her team and even her dreams of running competitively. Elena’s story is a powerful example of how returning to what you love can be a healing way to move forward. 
January 26, 2024 — Elena Hayday
Vanessa Aniteye: Balancing Motherhood and Collegiate Athletics

Vanessa Aniteye: Balancing Motherhood and Collegiate Athletics

Vanessa Aniteye, NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 nominee, shares how running took on a new meaning once she embraced the joy and challenges of motherhood. She explores how running has accompanied her life through her immigration from Germany, to her journey through the NCAA, and the birth of her son. As a mother and athlete, Vanessa is inspired to chase her athletic dreams and shatter the notion that motherhood and sports are mutually exclusive, even in the collegiate setting.
January 18, 2024 — Vanessa Aniteye
Molly Bookmyer: Running As a Celebration of Health

Molly Bookmyer: Running As a Celebration of Health

Molly Bookmyer’s journey to the Olympic Marathon Trials is fueled by gratitude and a vivid awareness that a healthy life, and healthy running, are a distinct, and joyful, privilege. She shares how her experiences with medical challenges and survival have shaped her relationship with running and her pursuit of big goals.
January 05, 2024 — Molly Bookmyer
How Wheelchair Racing Challenged My Relationship With My Disability

How Wheelchair Racing Challenged My Relationship With My Disability

Eva Houston, Paralympic wheelchair racer, shares her experience growing up with the desire for people to look past her wheelchair, to finding spaces where she found power in putting her disability first. She explores how her sport challenged her to blossom into her identity and expand her capacity for joy and courage.
December 15, 2023 — Eva Houston
Bri Boehmer: If Not Now, When?

Bri Boehmer: If Not Now, When?

Briana Boehmer is challenging societal timelines by attempting an OTQ at the California International Marathon at age 42, showcasing the resilience to pursue dreams beyond conventional expectations. Her story defies age-based limitations, emphasizing the timeless pursuit of personal goals.
December 01, 2023 — Bri Boehmer
Oiselle Presents: Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories

Oiselle Presents: Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories

Oiselle, dedicated to advancing women in sports, has excitingly partnered with Hear Her Sports and Women’s Running Stories, two podcasts championing female athletes and their impactful stories. This collaboration will feature six special episodes highlighting Oiselle athletes' inspiring journeys.
November 29, 2023 — Hannah Calvert
Carmen Pelar Graves: My Journey from Division III to Professional Running

Carmen Pelar Graves: My Journey from Division III to Professional Running

Carmen Pelar Graves, Haute Volée Steeplechaser, shares her unconventional journey from Division III soccer player to professional running. Overcoming challenges, lack of sponsorship, and a hiatus from the sport, Carmen's story emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, resilience, and embracing individual paths to athletic success.
November 17, 2023 — Carmen Pelar Graves
Leah Kaplan: The Maverick Bird

Leah Kaplan: The Maverick Bird

From overcoming insecurities about her limb difference to finding purpose and community in Paratriathlon, Leah Kaplan story is a testament to the transformative power of embracing authenticity.
November 10, 2023 — Leah Kaplan
Fill Your Cup and Let It Flow

Fill Your Cup and Let It Flow

Let’s raise a toast this holiday season and cheers to women investing in themselves. When women are fulfilled, they can change the world for the better, one human, one day, and one cause, at a time.
November 07, 2023 — Hannah Calvert