As I was researching the Week 182 Fan Teaser I happened upon the subject’s – Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon in 1967 – website. One of the website’s tabs takes visitors to 261 Fearless, the global non-profit Switzer helped found in 2015. (Note: Kathrine’s Boston bib number in 1967 was 261. It’s since been officially retired.)
Sure, I’ll submit the contact form and see what happens, I figured. It’d be pretty cool to have the first official female Boston Marathon finisher as a Conversations’ guest, especially after I’d just been in Boston for the 130th running.
I heard back from the PR person that Kathrine was unavailable but her 261 Fearless co-founder and current President and Chief Executive Officer, Edith Zuschmann, might be able to speak with me.
And that’s how I wound up speaking with Edith, herself a former elite Austrian swimmer turned distance runner who devotes her time these days empowering women through 261 Fearless.
Sure, Edith and I talked about her early years as a sports fan (watching Alpine skiing on the television) in a home that was not sports oriented and how her grandmother introduced her swimming.
More importantly, however, Edith and I spoke about the work 261 Fearless is doing in 14 countries over five continents. The goal behind these running clubs is to empower women to be the leaders and to, thus, provide a safe environment for fellow women to join and begin their fitness journey, free of judgment and at their own pace.
As Edith said, “Each one of us has the power to be an inspiration for our daughters or our nieces or the anonymous woman next door to us. … You believe in what you see.”