The word “freedom” feels like a lie. This seductive idea of saying what we want, doing what we want, without a clear tie to consequences for ourselves or others. Fiction.
We’re told we have freedoms by those who seem hellbent on taking them away. (Everything *is* political - fight me.)
Some of us have been denied the freedoms granted to others for decades. For centuries.
Some of us are fighting for the freedom to exist. What does "freedom" even mean in a world that would prefer us unwoven and unmade?
So, for now, we're breaking up with "freedom."
Besides, "freedom" is a noun, and we live in a time when verbs are required. A vocabulary of action.
Let us LIFT instead.
We Were Made to LIFT
LIFT requires relationship. Requires connection.
You and the friction of your feet against the road. You pulling the kettlebell over your head. Building strength with your effort.
You at another runner’s side moving up a hill. Or together in a pace group. Or helping a neighbor with their groceries when you reach home.
LIFT is also you in the voting booth. You on the picket line. You asking your representatives for services that you yourself do not require but you know that others do.
There is always someone who needs your hand, your voice, your heart. Your gifts. YOU.
True LIFT is a gift to be given freely, out of love, out of a well of nurturing energy that flows from our core, and from our dreams of who we hope to become. For each other.
Effort. Strength. Relationship. Connection. We were made for THIS.
Heads up, hands open, wings out.
MORE STORIES
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.
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.
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.