In late 2019, Mary Ellen Lee (sister of co-founder Karl Koelle) was on her own fitness journey. She started running, and set a goal to complete her first marathon by age 40 (she’s 38 now). At 1DOS we love a “big hairy goal” – and we know goals come with a plan. To make this goal happen, we worked with Mary to develop a to-do list – first thing, complete a 5k!
That first step was finished in February 2020, as she ran the Frozen Nose 5k with the Richard’s Racers arm of the Foundation paying her race fee. By this point, we knew we had the right candidate – and this was confirmed when Mary immediately registered herself for another 5k shortly after. Why? Because she wasn’t happy with her finish and wanted to do better. Which, of course, she did as she crushed that second race.
Next steps for Mary are a 10k, building to a half-marathon, and culminating in that big hairy goal, her first full marathon. To date she is down 65 pounds, is feeling healthier than ever, and recently bought a jeans size she hasn’t worn since high school. Keep up the great work, Mary – we’re right beside you!