Helen Mino Faukner — Pro Racing, Athlete Identity & More Equitable Starting Lines

In this episode of Get Stoked Girls, we sit down with HOKA pro trail runner Helen Mino Faukner at Donner Lake, where she now lives in Truckee, California — and where she rediscovered her love for running.

In this candid conversation, Helen reflects on her evolving relationship with sport and identity, her most meaningful (and most brutal) FKTs, and why she turned down two Golden Tickets to Western States. We talk about staying aligned with joy as a professional athlete and why process now matters more than prestige.

We also dive into her perspective on gender equity in trail running, being a part of the PTRA Women’s Equality Workgroup, and her advice to get you stoked: carve your own path — even if no one’s done it that way before.

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