S5E7: Mirna Valerio: Breaking Boundaries on Size, Race, and Running

In today’s episode, we have an incredible guest
who is a brilliant and brave disruptor, with a huge smile and
infectious personality.


Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator, and
cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, author of the Amazon
bestselling memoir, A Beautiful Work in
Progress, and antiracism educator.
Although she began running in high school, she recommitted to the
sport after a health scare in 2008 and started her blog
Fatgirlrunning—about her experiences as a larger woman in a world
of thinner endurance athletes— while training for her first
marathon. Mirna's athletic story has been featured in the WSJ,
Runner’s World, on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in the viral
REI-produced documentary short, The Mirnavator.
Her writing has been featured in Women’s Running Magazine, Self
Magazine Online, Outside Online, and Runner's World Magazine. In
2018 she was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the
Year, and she has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Access
Daily, and on Nigel Barker’s new V1Ve Network. When she wears her
diversity, equity, and inclusion hat, she helps schools,
nonprofits, and businesses to step up their antiracism efforts.
She currently lives, trains, and works in Vermont, USA.


In today’s episode, we talk about Mirna’s book A Beautiful Work
in Progress, as well as explore the myriad of stories from
Mirna’s adventurous life. 


 


Mirna shares:


Her 5 core values and how they impact her life choices
(they’re awesome, and I’m adopting several of them)

Being a disruptor as a female, Black, plus-sized,
professional athlete, and ultrarunner

What it means to do “adventure work” and how she came to do
it

What books she’s reading and why she’s into them

How she brings people to the work of activism through
teaching and adventure

Her INCREDIBLE journey from classroom teacher to professional
athlete with corporate sponsorships (Lululemon among others!)



 


“We are all entitled to inhabit the Earth.  People have
reactions because many of the spaces (that I show up in) have
historically seemed to be for white folks.”- Mirna Valerio


Thank you for listening to the show. It is such an honor to have
these conversations with you. They are necessary and needed, and
we are here to do the work. 


 


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