Jessica Arden Lefford on Community, Grief, and Why She Still Runs

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Please take care while listening. Some of the darkest chapters of our lives can become the reasons we keep showing up and moving forward, one step at a time. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott talks with Jessica Arden Lefford, who is running the New York City Marathon with Still I Run, a charity that promotes running for mental wellbeing. Jess shares how a few casual runs in San Diego turned into a full-blown love of running and a found family through local run clubs, and how, after losing her sister and then her mother to suicide, she found her way to Still I Run. Jess reflects on what it means to run for people rather than just a personal best and why showing up, even on the hardest days, has become its own form of self-care for her. When Jess crosses the finish line in New York this autumn, she'll be running for her sister, for her mom, for her team, and for herself, to prove that even after tragedy and through dark chapters, it's possible (and so important) to keep moving forward. To get connected with Jess, find her on Instagram. You can support Jess's fundraiser for Still I Run via this link. To learn more and get involved with Still I Run, visit their page: linktr.ee/stillirun. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.