Mirna Valerio – Running Ultramarathons and Being a Beautiful Work in Progress

01/31/18 • 56 min

1 Listener

Mirna’s Wild Idea: To run ultra-marathons and advocate for body positivity, showing others fitness comes in many sizes.

You may have seen Mirna Valerio, “The Mirnavator.” Her video with REI had millions of views on Facebook. It starts with her reading an angry letter from a guy who wrote to her while she was doing a 50k run. He called her a “fraud,” a “liar,” and said she is not only faking running ultra-marathons, but she’s making a bad name for runners because she is overweight and doesn’t “look like a runner.”

Well, Mirna can not only run, but she’s a true force of nature. She’s also a teacher, coach, diversity leader, trained opera singer, mom, wife, and recently added author and brand ambassador to her resume. A few years ago, when Mirna started doing longer runs, she started the site called Fat Girl Running. There weren’t a lot of people who looked like her on the trail, and she wanted to get more people outside running.

Her story was featured in the Wall Street Journal in 2015, and then was picked up by Runner’s World, NBC Nightly, CNN, and REI. She has now added a few more titles to her resume: brand ambassador, author of her new book, A Beautiful Work in Progress, and my own addition, total badass!

Listening to Mirna talk is inspiring. She has an incredible outlook on the world, she laughs easily, and she isn’t afraid to go deep. We talked about diving into the uncomfortable, dealing with haters, how to create opportunities for yourself, and how you can be a runner no matter what your size, shape, or background.

Presented by REI

Listen to this episode if:

You want to start running.
You are self-conscious about your body or fitness level.
You need a dose of positivity.
You want to break out of your comfort zone.
You hate when people tell you that you can’t do something.

For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/59

Mirna’s Wild Idea: To run ultra-marathons and advocate for body positivity, showing others fitness comes in many sizes.

Presented by REI

Listen to this episode if:

You want to start running.
You are self-conscious about your body or fitness level.
You need a dose of positivity.
You want to break out of your comfort zone.
You hate when people tell you that you can’t do something.

For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/59

Previous Episode

Ami Vitale - Traveling the World, Telling Stories, and Creating Awareness Through Photography

Ami’s Wild Idea: To use photography to help people from around the world understand each other and connect. To raise awareness about cultures, communities, animals, and the environment.

Ami Vitale is a world-class photographer who has traveled the world on assignment for publications like National Geographic and the Associated Press. She got her start in journalism working as a war correspondent, and now focuses on stories, videos and photos about culture, wildlife and the environment. As a storyteller, she’s traveled to over 90 countries, lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and even donned a panda suit.

In our conversation, you can hear how compassionate Ami is. She gives everything she has to her work, which is one reason she’s won so many awards and gets asked to give lectures and teach around the globe. She also donates proceeds of her work to benefit charities. You’ll be inspired to go out and do good in the world after this one.

Presented by REI

Listen to this episode if:

You are a photographer or just like taking pictures.
You want to help save the environment and animals.
You love storytelling.
You love animals, especially African elephants and pandas.
You want to conquer your fears.
You are looking for hope in the world.

For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/58

Next Episode

Andy Davis - Making a Living with Enthusiastic, Amazing Art, Inspired by Surf Culture

Andy’s Wild Idea: To pave his own path and make a career spreading aloha vibes through art.

Andy Davis is quite possibly my favorite artist ever, and for good reason. He has been called one of the best surf artists of our generation. Using bright colors, and organic, curvy shapes, his work gives you the feeling of being near the water, and exudes a pure, simple joy and aloha spirit. His work has appeared in films by Thomas Campbell, brands like Billabong, Roxy, and his own brand Free, on huge murals, in big stores, and now on the panels of Igloo coolers.

We talk about how he forged his own way, passing on traditional education for real work experience, surrounding himself with friends, and continuing to create what he wanted along the way. He has a great sense of humor and a bold outlook on life. Andy’s perspective on following your creative and wild ideas is a breath of fresh air, and one that will most likely inspire you to keep going after what you want.

Listen to this episode if: