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Two weeks later, she signed up for her first race, a 5km. At the three-month mark, she tackled her first half marathon.<\/p>\n
The experience, she said, has changed her mentality: she has learned to celebrate life.<\/p>\n
“This running journey has taught me anything is possible \u2013 those big dreams are worth chasing \u2013 and there is so much joy and magic to be found in movement,” Ryan said.<\/p>\n
“I feel accomplished. I feel that if there’s something that I want, I can really go out there and chase it and\u00a0get it.<\/p>\n
“I’m able to show up better as a parent. I’m able to better show up as a wife. Our kids are all very, very active and I can keep up with them.”<\/p>\n
Now she has her sights set on a full marathon on her home turf, as the calendar edges closer to the inaugural Geelong Running Festival.<\/p>\n
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Created by former Olympian Lee Troop, the Geelong Running Festival will be held on September 20, and offer participants a first-of-its-kind run or walk through the streets of Geelong.<\/p>\n
Ryan has this month been announced as one of the event’s ambassadors, an opportunity she feels is a “full\u00a0circle” moment.<\/p>\n
“I want people to understand that if you want it, you can have it,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It is always going to be easy? No. It’s meant to be hard, but that’s the beauty of it. And there is a community of people that will cheer you on to even just get to the start line, and then a whole lot more people that will cheer you on to the finish line.”<\/p>\n
To train for her own marathon, Ryan heads out for three runs each week: a speed session, a recovery run and a long-distance run.<\/p>\n
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