Whether you’re racing in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, NYC, or anywhere in between — Team Active Minds helps you run for a purpose. Those looking to contribute to mental health change can use fitness to add meaning to their miles by partnering with Active Minds while completing marathons, bike rides, and endurance events in their communities.
It’s easy to be a part of Team Active Minds, whether you are committing to one of our signature events, joining a local event, or starting your own endurance event! Not only are you running for mental health awareness, but when you join Team Active Minds, you are welcomed into a community of other mental health champions. It is never too late to change the conversation about mental health, and by partnering with Active Minds, you are taking a stand for the prioritization of mental health in your community.
We will have over 50 participants supporting our shared mental health movement through the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend!
Meet our Philadelphia Athletes
Team Active Minds will be at the Philadelphia Marathon! We’re showcasing the dedication of our racers and their personal reasons for supporting mental health awareness. Meet our mental health champions below or check their individual donation pages to learn more about their inspiring stories. And remember, you can support each of our racers and our mission by making a donation to Active Minds!
Meet Jodi Johnson
Running acts as a form of self-discovery for Jodi. He pushes himself beyond his limits and is thankful he can share his passion for mental health at the same time. As a collegiate track athlete, Jodi has a lot of experience running long distances, but this marathon will be his first. Fundraising for Active Minds has been a beautiful experience for him as it provides the opportunity to spread a message of support.
“Active Minds is a national leader in promoting and spreading awareness of mental health, especially among youth and young adults. I am making my miles matter by sharing my journey leading up until Philadelphia marathon in hopes it gives people the confidence to reach out and seek help whether the help is therapy or just connecting to someone in their social community. I want others to know that it’s okay to not be okay, but it isn’t okay to be stuck there, there is help.”
Meet Kat Mason
Being able to run and move her body is a privilege to Kat that she is so grateful that she can take advantage of. This is her first marathon and she believes it is a blessing to have the opportunity to raise awareness for missions she believes in such as Active Minds’.
“As someone who used to struggle with mental health but kept it to myself, I wanted to support the mission and reach of Active Minds. No one should feel powerless, helpless, and unable to get the support they need. There is strength in community, and I want to help build a community that promotes mental health awareness, resources, and changes the stigma of mental health.”
Meet Grace Wolter
For Grace, running has always been an outlet, something that helps to clear her mind or see beautiful sites as she runs through the city. Fundraising with Active Minds has been an excellent experience as the team has been very supportive and offered tips on how to better fundraise for this cause. She is from Philadelphia and has always wanted to run a half marathon, so what better place to run her first in her hometown?
“I deeply admire the mission of Active Minds. Focusing specifically on young adults is crucial, as this phase of life can be particularly challenging. I’ve witnessed firsthand in my community the negative impact that poor mental health can have. By raising awareness around mental health, we can take the first step toward reducing stigma and allowing every person to feel supported.”
Meet Gene Gurkoff
Gene loves the feeling of running. He loves being outside, running with friends, being healthy and meeting so many amazing people along the way. He signed up for this marathon after being influenced by one of his friends who signed up, and decided to run with Active Minds because he was excited about supporting a charity he cares for.
“I’ve personally struggled with anxiety and depression, as have many people close to me. I’m also the founder of Charity Miles, an app that helps support many great charities around the world. In getting to know our members, I’ve learned that everyone has mental health challenges because we all have mental health.
Unfortunately, there’s a stigma against talking about this which keeps some people from getting the help they need. And, unfortunately, we’ve lost a few members of our community to suicide — one in particular, named Jon, that I was very close with. I think about Jon every day and I’m dedicating my miles to him and his family.”
By running with Team Active Minds, you make it clear that mental health matters and is a cause to stand for. The opportunity extends far beyond just the Philadelphia marathon — your choice of physical activity has the potential to serve as an opportunity to support mental health advocacy. So if you ever find yourself running a marathon or participating in an endurance event, remember Team Active Minds and how simple it is to bring the mental health movement to your marathon and endurance events!
