Mirna Valerio on Redefining Professional Running & Dealing with Anxiety

03/23/22 • 80 min

Legends, I am stoked to bring you today’s episode with Mirna Valerio! Mirna started her blog, Fatgirlrunning, to document her journey through running as a larger woman in the world of thinner athletes. Her blog took off and after a long road of consistency, perseverance, determination of this woman who is now a professional athlete running for LuluLemon. Before becoming a professional athlete, Mirna was a cross-country coach and a teacher for 18 years while leading the diversity and inclusion program at her school. Her life trajectory changed when one day she was driving home from work and began experiencing significant chest pain and was rushed to the hospital. After many examinations, it was clear that she had a panic attack - which felt impossible to her because as she had previously thought, “Black people don’t have panic attacks.” Due to the extreme quantity of responsibilities she was taking on in her life, she wasn’t sleeping and was on track to an early death. The doctor asked her, “do you want to see your son grow up?” and from that moment forward, she changed the way she lived, from training and sleep to nutrition and everything in between. After breaking out her treadmill, she started running 5k’s every weekend in New York City and is now sponsored by Lululemon and LL Bean as well as multiple others. In addition to her athletic career, Mirna is also a speaker and the author of her memoir “A Beautiful Work in Progress.” In today’s episode we dive into her journey of becoming a professional athlete, her relationship with anxiety and the stereotypes that accompany being a Black person with anxiety as well as a deeper look into what it’s like being a Black woman in the United States. We specifically discuss: