Insights from an Ultra Marathoner

Welcome to the Perception Podcast, this is Tom Garrity.  We’ve had a lot going on here at The Garrity Group, but I wanted to share with you something that is off the beaten path … literally and figuratively.  Some of you know I am training to run the Black Hills Ultra Marathon 50 mile race with Team World Vision.  It is in South Dakota at the end of June.  As a part of the training and encouragement I had a chance to speak with World Record Holder and ultra marathoner Michael Wardian.

Full Transcript

Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group [00:00:01] It's. Welcome to the Perception podcast. This is Tom Garrity. We have a lot going on here at the guarantee that I wanted to share with you something that is off the beaten path, literally and figuratively. Some of you know, I'm training to run the Black Hills ultra 50-mile race for Team World Vision. It's in South Dakota at the end of June. And as a part of the training and encouragement, I had a chance to speak with world record holder. An ultra-marathoner, Michael Motian was gracious enough to share some insights that I think are also applicable in the world of public relations. And we'll tell you how at the end of the interview. Right now, picking up on Michael Wardian, talking about his background in running 

Michael Wardian, Ultramarathon Runner [00:00:50] qualified, ran the Boston Marathon, got hooked with running and then fell into Ultra shortly thereafter. I did my first 50-mile race in nineteen ninety-seven, so quite a few years ago. Then I've progressed through things. All ranked runners to international runners eventually earn my way through teams and been a pro athlete now for going on 20 some years. So, it's been it's been quite a journey from not even knowing how many laps are in a 400 to running for multiple days running across countries and representing Team USA along the way. So I've been really fortunate to have had the chance to, you know, take up a sport that I'm so into and passionate about and excited about. And I think the greatest thing, too, is just the chance to meet people along the way and do some good. And so I think that's what we're doing here. 

Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group [00:01:59] Outstanding team World Vision. How did you first get become aware of team World Vision? 

Michael Wardian, Ultramarathon Runner [00:02:07] And I'd say. I was probably I'd seen the logos and the shirts at some events. I feel like I may have seen team World Vision at Comrade's one year in South Africa. And then I was in twenty seventeen. I won the World Marathon Challenge, where you run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents and one of the prizes for winning that was you won fifteen thousand dollars. I think it was actually fifteen thousand euro donation to any charity of your choice. And in my professional life outside of running I'm an international broker. And so we work with like a bunch of private voluntary relief organizations, including World Vision ship, like bulk wheat and stuff to places all around the world. And then I'd seen the team, World Vision people, and I met some of them. And I thought, well, that would be a great charity. It'd be a two for one. Like, they do stuff up and running and they do stuff and in humanitarian food aid. So I was able to donate that check to World Vision and I kind of got introduced to Brian and Josh along the way. And then I was asked to be a part of the hood to coast relay. So that was that was really cool. And then I did some of the six ks for water locally. So definitely, definitely been, you know, a lengthy kind of journey with World Vision. I haven't got a chance to go to any of the mission sites yet. So that was something I was hoping to do when I ran comrade's. And it just hasn't happened yet. But hopefully that'll be coming up in the future. 

Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group [00:04:04] Outstanding. Outstan