Kelly Arcieri’s Sport Story: Running with Confidence
Kelly Arcieri and her husband after the Wineglass Marathon, October 2021
Name: Kelly Arcieri
Sport: Running, Walking, Yoga
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Profession: Career Coach
Age: 60
My husband has always been a runner, but I didn't take up the sport in earnest until my early 50s. At that time, I was running no more than two miles about three times per week. A group of women at my daughter's elementary school were training for a half marathon and I was in awe. I told my daughter, "I don't think I could ever run 13 miles." She said, "I'll do it with you, Mom." Although she never ran with me, her words encouraged me to sign up for my first half marathon in the fall of 2015. Crossing the finish line at that event was my best moment as an athlete. I cried like a baby.
After that race, I swore I'd never run another. Much like childbirth, I forgot the pain and soon signed up for another. And another. In 2021, I ran my first (and only) marathon. On May 19, I finished my 19th half marathon in Cleveland. I’m looking for a fall half marathon to round my finishes to 20 by the end of 2024. Onward!
Running empowers me. There is nothing like setting a goal, following a training plan, and crossing that finish line. In my later life, it has empowered me to go back to school and earn my master's degree, and to embark on a new career. Running has given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and explore parts of myself that were hidden for a long time. We moms get so focused on our children and families that we sometimes forget who we are. Running allows me to tap into my dreams and feelings and keeps me mentally healthy and strong. And I hope I'm setting an example for my daughter that you can do anything, at any age, when you develop a plan and work for it.
Although I no longer have children at home, it is still difficult to find the time for running while working full-time. But it’s worth it when I do; the amazing sense of accomplishment and pride I feel when I see my race bibs hanging on my office wall is most rewarding.
My husband is my biggest supporter, and he runs nearly every race with me, at my pace. I really needed his encouragement and support during the marathon! Mile 24 of my marathon was the worst. I wanted to give up, but my husband would not let me. I could not have crossed that finish line without him.
As a perfectionist in my younger days, I was unwilling to try new experiences. I feel sports would have provided me with a sense of confidence that I lacked as a young woman and may have given me the extra push I needed to pursue my dreams earlier.
Now I focus on progress, not perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect human form. Now that I am older, I care less about how my body looks and more about how I feel and what I'm able to do. I hope to keep running until I’m 80.
Kelly’s story comes to us as part of the Thigh Flasher Series: short stories, anecdotes, and other pieces of wisdom by competitive sportswomen.
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