Lee A. Farrow, PhD, is the Board Secretary for Women in Training, and Chairwoman of the
Third Annual WIT 5K Race to End Poverty. PERIOD!
The Board of Directors of Women in Training, Inc. has appointed Laurie Edmondson and Michelle Rotton as Race Directors for the Third Annual WIT 5K Race to End Poverty. PERIOD! The 5K is scheduled for Saturday, October 8, 2022, at Old Alabama Town in Montgomery, Alabama. Register here!
“I’m excited to have these two women in charge of the planning of this important signature fundraising event for WIT, and I am looking forward to creating a great race with them,” said Dr. Lee A. Farrow, PhD, Secretary of the WIT Board and Chairwoman of this year’s 5K.
Ms. Edmondson and Ms. Rotton are both active WIT supporters and came in first and second place, respectively, in the Second Annual WIT 5K in October 2021.
“Running has helped me reach goals I never thought possible, and it has instilled in me a desire to help others within my community to reach their goals as well,” Ms. Edmondson said. “From volunteering as a coach and a running buddy for our local Girls on the Run, to organizing a touchless food drive among runners during the first months of the pandemic, to volunteering to be a pacer for other runners hoping to finish a race in a certain time, I have found that being a part of the running community has not only made me a better athlete, but it’s also made me a better person.”
Ms. Edmondson, who teaches Air Force civilian employees how to use concepts of positive psychology as part of their leadership style, further shared her joy of running.
Laurie Edmondson, an avid runner, is the Co-Race Director for the
Third Annual WIT 5K Race to End Poverty. PERIOD!
“Whether I am running a local 5K or the Boston Marathon, the other runners and volunteers I meet are so enthusiastic, encouraging, and generally excited to be involved in such an inclusive, empowering event. That’s why I want to help make the WIT 5K even more successful this year,” Edmondson said. “WIT empowers and educates young women throughout our region, and the enthusiasm and compassion of those persons involved with WIT combined with the energy and fun of a 5K in the heart of Montgomery is a perfect way to raise funds and awareness for such an important organization!”
Ms. Rotton, who works at ServisBank as Senior Vice President Commercial Banking Officer, expressed a similar passion for running.
“I really began running, on and off, in my early 20s, but it never really became a passion until 2007,” Ms. Rotton said. “I started running with friends and signed up for my first marathon in 2008. At the time, I didn't even know what I was getting myself into, but thought I would try it. The marathon almost did me in! I completed it with the hope of running more races”
Like Ms. Edmondson, the Co-Race Director said she has enjoyed meeting other people in the running community.
Michelle Rotton is the other Co-Race Director for the
Third Annual WIT 5K Race to End Poverty. PERIOD!
“Running has allowed me to meet so many people in our community, as well as across the U.S. Over the years I have run 25 marathons in 20 states and two continents,” Ms. Rotton said. “I have run as a mentor with Girls on Run, served on the board of the Jubilee City Fest Run, and coached a Couch to 8K group for the Jubilee run. The running community has empowered me to be more confident, courageous, and giving to others. Along with running, I also have served on the board at Child Protect, YMCA Camp Chandler and Trenholm State Community College.”
Ms. Rotton said she wanted to be a part of the WIT 5K this year to help bring more awareness and education about ending period poverty.
“This organization is empowering the young women of our community to make a difference,” Rotton said.
Ms. Edmondson further elaborated: “One of the reasons the WIT mission really resonates with me is the memory of some of my female students coming to me for help when the nurse at our school had run out of feminine supplies. When I didn’t have a pad for the first young woman who asked, I gave her my sweater to wrap around her waist for the day. That afternoon, I stocked up on sanitary napkins and other basic necessities and put them in my file cabinet for my students to use throughout the year. And I know other teachers throughout our city, state and nation do the same. By supplying WITKITS to schools in our region, Women in Training is helping young women in their time of need, as well as taking the load-off teachers and school nurses, who often purchase such items out of their own pockets. As an educator, as a mother, as a woman: I am grateful and honored to be a part of Women in Training.”
Do you want to run the 5K, but need help training? Please go here to sign up for the Couch to WIT 5K training!
Enjoy this video from the Second Annual WIT 5K: