President's Column -February 2023
Jennifer Hay, Vice President
I’m not much of a runner. I’m not fast, and I don’t even run far anymore, but boy do I love being part of our amazing Tallahassee running community. All those fuzzy feelings are why I decided to up my leadership game in Gulf Winds Track Club. But I also thought it would give me a chance to convince David Yon to let me get more involved in our youth programs. They are his passion and are among the very best things GWTC does for Tallahassee. Part of my passion for our youth programs has grown from my family’s experience with them. Our kids— Hawthorne, 20, and Ainsley, 18—grew up going to Summer Track on Thursday nights, spending summer mornings running with local celebrities at SMIRFS, and waking up early on Saturday mornings to run or volunteer at races. They formed friendships and forged competitors spanning generations, and I will forever appreciate every volunteer and fellow runner who invested time in them, shared inspiring words (and taunts), ran next to them, and showed them the giving heart of our running community. It has made a huge difference in their lives. (Hawthorne is now a volunteer coach for the middle school program, and Ainsley—even though she’s not even a runner—would sooner skip mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving Day than miss the Turkey Trot.) GWTC is in their blood. I encourage every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, and doting friend to get those little ones involved in the summer track series, the SMIRFS morning runs and games in June and July, and the middle school running program (Striders) throughout the year. And, of course, I hope all of you will volunteer in meaningful ways to grow these programs to their full potential—because it will be as good an experience for you as it is for the kids. Watch the Fleet Foot and website for information about youth running events and school running program grants. And of course, reach out to me if you have any questions or ideas!
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Presidents Column October 2024
My entry into the race directing world happened in a rather random way more than a decade ago—2012ish. My favorite partner in crime on the DeSoto Trail PTO board, Amy O’Kelley, and I declared that carnival hosting wasn’t our thing and decided to start a 5K as the...
President’s Column September 2024
Fall is Coming!! September always signals the start of lots of racing and used to signify an almost guaranteed break in the weather with a cool front or two blowing through. This would ensure that at least one or two of the three signature September GWTC races could...
President’s Column – August 2024
One of my favorite things about our recent member survey is seeing how much y’all value the GWTC running community. It sounds like most of you are having fun working together to be your best self. (There are a few lone wolves out there who said they’re just in it for...
Presidents Column June-July 2024
I subscribe to Popular Mechanics magazine. While the name is a bit of a misnomer in my view, I mostly have a subscription because my Dad always had one. There are always interesting articles, but the magazine starts out with a section called “Can’t Stop Thinking...
President’s Column – May 2024
Jerry and I have spent a lot of newsletter space telling you how much we value Gulf Winds Track Club and its members. We’ve talked about our fave GWTC memories, group runs, races, volunteering, youth programs, and superstars. Now, we want to hear from you. GWTC is...
President’s Column – April 2024
First and foremost on my mind this month are the Springtime Races, which Jackie and I direct. All is well at this point due in some measure to a new Volunteer initiative of the club’s(more on that in a bit), but also due to the marketing efforts of Jon Brown and the...
President’s Column – March 2024
I spend a lot of time talking with people about running and walking and the role that being outdoors plays in our wellbeing. It’s a part of my job at REI that I really love, and it has become a bit of a passion as you can probably tell given all the energy I pour into...
President’s Column – February 2024
This column may tend to meander a bit but stay with me. I see and talk with my mother a time or two each week and we often chat of her past, growing up. She was an only child and often laments her loneliness growing up with no siblings. By contrast, my wife Jackie,...
President’s Column – January 2024
Jerry did a great job of succinctly summing up the past year of our club in his President’s Letter last month, and now we get a chance to look forward, to decide where our club is headed, who we want to be as a community. I’m the newbie here, so it’s easier for me to...
President’s Column – December 2023
As you read this letter, we will be into December of 2023 and closing out my first year as President of the club and last column. This necessitates a look back on the year for me to see whether the club has back-tracked, stalled, or moved forward from some of my...