Few experiences in life are as transformative as becoming a parent. Suddenly your life isn’t entirely your own, as you navigate what it means to be fully responsible for not only for keeping a tiny baby alive but also for raising them to be a good human.
For women, there’s an added element that our bodies change with pregnancy. As the mom of two young boys, I can report that my hair texture changed, and one (yes, just one) of my feet grew. Added to that was the weight gain and feeling like I wanted to have my body back after gestating a small person for nine months.
For me, and countless other military families, Stroller Warriors® became a way to get back in shape and make friends.
A community for healthy military families
Stroller Warriors is a free running club for military spouses and their family members. Founded in 2010 in Camp LeJeune by Stephanie Geraghty, Stroller Warriors has since grown with chapters worldwide. If you’ve ever seen a group of women running on a military base with a ton of strollers, chances are, that was a chapter of Stroller Warriors. The organization’s stated mission is “to help military families around the world live happier, healthier lives through fitness, friendship, leadership, goal-setting, networking, and community outreach.”
Traditional workouts take place on weekday mornings, usually starting at a park or playground. Instead of having a set route or distance, runs are always out-and-back for a set time so that no matter a person’s fitness level, they can participate. Chapters host runners from all ability levels from just getting started, to qualifying for the Boston Marathon.
Many Stroller Warrior chapters offer additional workouts too, such as yoga or strength training. There are also programs that help people get into running, like Couch to 5k, where the goal is to get someone who has no running experience to be able to run a 5k or 30 minutes without stopping.
My Stroller Warrior journey
I was introduced to the Stroller Warriors in Honolulu. There are two main chapters in Hawaii, one at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), and the other at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay. Before I ever had kids, my foot grew, and my hair went curly, I was an avid runner, having completed five marathons. I was worried I might never get back into running. Then I saw a group of women run past my house on base, all pushing heavy-duty strollers with kids ranging from infants to pre-k, and I got curious.
When my first son, Jack, was born, I joined the JBPHH group as soon as I was cleared by my doctor. It was a godsend. In addition to becoming a new mom, I left the workforce. Being a new mom is often equal parts rewarding and challenging. It can also be isolating staying home with a baby who relies on you for everything. Joining this group gave me an immediate sense of community and activities to do with other moms who understood what it’s like to have a new baby, and what it’s like to be a military spouse.
In 2018, I met up with an amazing group of women, all decked out in Stroller Warrior gear, and I ran the Honolulu Marathon a year after giving birth to Jack. Two days later I found out I was pregnant with my second son. In 2019, three-and-a-half months after giving birth, I joined up with my Stroller Warriors crew and ran the Honolulu Marathon again. I’m not sure if I would have had the motivation or support to do that without that group of mother runners.
If you’re interested in learning more about Stroller Warriors or starting your own chapter, visit their website at https://www.strollerwarriors.com/.