When Verna Volker laced up a pair of running shoes in 2009, her endgame wasn’t to build a huge online community for Indigenous runners or to become a global ambassador for a prominent athletic brand - she simply wanted to do something for herself and her health. But what began as one half-marathon escalated into a world-wide movement. Now an ultra marathoner, Verna (who is also a wife, mother and teacher), talks to me about how she fits running into her busy days, her online community (Native Women Running), and how individuals and companies can go beyond performative allyship to truly create lasting, sustainable change in Indigenous communities.
When Verna Volker laced up a pair of running shoes in 2009, her endgame wasn’t to build a huge online community for Indigenous runners or to become a global ambassador for a prominent athletic brand - she simply wanted to do something for herself and her health. But what began as one half-marathon escalated into a world-wide movement. Now an ultra marathoner, Verna (who is also a wife, mother and teacher), talks to me about how she fits running into her busy days, her online community (Native Women Running), and how individuals and companies can go beyond performative allyship to truly create lasting, sustainable change in Indigenous communities.