Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Feb. 8, 2017, edition 1 / Page 16
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WEDNESDAY, FEDRUARY D, 2017 {PAGE 16 ONLINE: |Alumna starts positive loampaign to combat '•post-election negativity mmm Elon alumna prepares for upcoming SOk Lilly Blomquist Contributor (gLIlLYsJLOoM Upon crossing the finish line of her first marathon at age 17, Haley Ghelfi felt a mixture of exhilaration and disbelief. She gazed back at the trail, contemplating her long, 26.2- mile journey she had just completed and felt pure bliss. “I couldn’t even imagine going that far until I did it,” Ghelfi said. “I had such happiness for finishing. At the end of the race, I just wanted to cry.” Now Ghelfi, a recent Elon Uni versity alumna who graduated in December 2016, has completed nine marathons and 20 half marathons. Adding to her list of races, Ghel fi is training for her first SOK race, a distance of 31 miles. Taking place in July in Ashland, Oregon, the race will consist of countless inclines, steep hills and additional mileage. Ghelfi is preparing herself mental ly and physically for this upcoming challenge and adventure. Preparing for the big race In anticipation of this approach ing race, Ghelfi will spend about four months training. Since she has already built up the endurance for long-dis- Haley Ghelfi’16 has completed nine marathons and 20 half marathons since completing her first marathon at 17 years old. Alumna Haley Ghelfi poses with fellow runners from the Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon in January 2017. Ghelfi gives a spectator a high-five as she runs a marathon in Eugene, Oregon, in 2013. While studying abroad in Seville, Spain, Ghelfi competed in a trail marathon in Guadarrama in 2015. sire to run. Her mother, father and three siblings have always been runners, so she decided to follow in their footsteps. ning, Ghelfi will dedicate long runs to Sundays. She said she plans on starting at 12 miles and then building up to 25 miles through- out these months. On the weekdays, Ghelfi will still incorporate running into her sched ule but at a more moderate distance. In addition to training for speed, she will focus on yoga to stretch out her body and aid in recovery as well as strength training to increase her overall strength and fitness level. Growing up in Redding, Califor nia, Ghelfi has always been a runner. At age 5, she completed her first 5K race, and since then has been train ing for races of all durations. Since she was raised in a fami ly that has a passion for running, Ghelfi inherited that profound de A family affair Not only did Ghelfi’s family in troduce her to her favorite hobby, but they are also one of the main reasons why she has remained com mitted. Offering guidance and sup port, Ghelfi’s family has contributed to her biggest accomplishments. By running for long periods of time with her family members, Ghelfi has deepened her relationships with them. Ghelfi’s older sister — Katie Ghelfi-Dunbar, who is ciirrehtly pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology — has run around 50 races HU with her. 'fhe sisters are currently train ing together for the upcoming SOK race, and spend their weekends running on the trails along side one another. Through this training process, Ghelfi-Dunbar expressed her con fidence that Ghelfi will complete this race with effortless agility and optimism. “Haley is so motivated,” Ghel fi-Dunbar said. “She’ll be happy the whole time during the race. She trains well enough. She will pretty much smile the whole way.” Ghelfi has also established a clos er relationship to her brother Ryan Ghelfi, who owns a running compa ny called Trails and Tarmac. Since Ryan Ghelfi has completed multiple SOK races and ones that consist of up to 100 miles, he serves as a men tor to Ghelfi. She approaches her brother whenever she needs advice, support and assistance. people that share a passion for run ning and a common goal of finish ing the race is rewarding. In addi tion to the social benefits, Ghelfi said she races for her own personal goal of growth and development. The feelings of pride and accom plishment after finishing a run pro- Ryan Ghelfi likewise explained . pel her onward and motivate her to how Ghelfi has demonstrated com- continue succeeding. mitment to running in preparation for her race in July. “Haley is one of the most positive people on the planet,” he said. “She makes running such an integral part of her life and everyone around her. Her passion and enthusiasm are in fectious.’" Not only did Ghelfi express her gratitude that running, has-enabled her to develop stronger bonds with. EVEN IF I DON’T KNOW THEM, I MEET PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY AND BUILD REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS. HALEY GHELFI ’16 ELON UNIVERSITY ALUMNA her family, but she also said she loves the entire social experience of running races. “Watching other people and watching them get through the race is probably one of the best times for me,” Ghelfi said. “Even if I don’t know them, I meet people along the way and build really good relation ships.” For Ghelfi, meeting new “For long runs, there is a satis faction for the distance I complete and an exhaustion I feel for the rest of the day. It’s pretty cool to see how far my body can go,” Ghelfi said. Making time to keep running Though Ghelfi has committed herself to training for races, she ex plained that finding motivation is ’ not always an easy task. After graduat ing Elon with a de gree in accounting and international business, Ghel fi began working as an auditor for Moss Adams in Portland, Oregon Jan. 10. She works up to 12 hours a day from Monday to Saturday. With this busy schedule and lit tle time for leisure, Ghelfi stated that finding time to run has been the biggest obstacle for her during her running career. Long workdays and cold weath er prevent Ghelfi from contribut ing as much effort and energy as she would like to her runs. Never theless, Ghelfi prioritizes exercise and incorporates running into her schedule regardless of the circum stances. “Right now, Haley is working long days, and if she’s going to run that day, she might run at 10 o’clock at night, but it’s still going to hap pen. If she has a plan, she’ll stick to it,” Ghelfi-Dunbar said. In order to motivate herself, Ghelfi reminds herself of the feel ings of satisfaction and accomplish ment she experiences after long runs. “Running calms me,” she said. “It helps me focus a lot more. If I run in the morning. I’m more pro ductive for the rest of the day. I’m in a better mood and have more en ergy.” To continue experiencing these positive emotions, Ghelfi said her future consists of many more rac es. She remarked that she plans on running more half marathons and longer races, such as the 50K race. Her ultimate goal is to corriplete a marathon in every state in the Unit ed States. With these goals in mind, Ghelfi said she views running as more of an experience that enables her to learn more about herself and other people who share the same passion as her. “I just run for fun for the most part,” she said. “I’m not a competi tor in terms of speed. It’s just about getting out there. Races are really good for that and really good for doing them with a bunch of people who are all trying to accomplish similar goals.”
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 8, 2017, edition 1
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