For as long as she can remember, the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon has been an “official” holiday for Stacey Draper and her family. In 2008, after seeing her father run the Mini for many years, Stacey decided to tackle the Indy Mini herself. She was in college at the time, so running provided a welcome outlet from the stress of her nursing program. It was also something fun that she could share with both her dad and her husband, who also ran his first Indy Mini that same year!
Stacey’s father has run the Indy Mini every year since 1999. His birthday also happens to fall around Mini-Marathon weekend, so the weekend is full of celebrations for their family! Since Stacey joined the tradition of running the Indy Mini in 2008, and her brother in 2012, the usual post-race ritual includes naps and a celebratory meal of giant hamburgers and lots of French fries!
Although she caught the running bug from her dad, Stacey’s love of running also sparked from her unusual work hours as a night shift nurse at Riley Children’s Hospital. She often found herself awake at strange, late hours on her off days and found quiet solace in running on the treadmill.
“There is just something about challenging your body that is so comforting to me. The more I ran, the more confident I became in my ability to fight both mental and physical fatigue,” Stacey said.
Stacey underwent foot surgery in June 2020 and was unable to run for several months. During that time, she and her husband also endured fertility treatments and (joyfully!) became pregnant in November 2020. With her pregnancy and the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, she opted not to go to the gym during the cold winter months. Though it was tough not to run, Stacey’s was so thrilled about finally becoming a mom, that her happiness overshadowed everything else!
Her son Eli was born in July 2021 and will be 9 months old on Indy Mini race day. After recovering from her foot injury and giving birth to her son, Stacey couldn’t be more excited to finally fully participate in their annual family tradition once again!
Working full-time as a nurse practitioner and a new mother to an infant does not make training for the Indy Mini easy. That means Stacey’s workouts are either limited to early or late in the day. However, she is simply happy to be able to challenge her body and mind once again! Even though her son is very young, she wants to set a good example for him and show him how strong his mom is!
On Mini-Marathon weekend, Stacey is most looking forward to a fun day spend with family as well as 30,000 of her closest “friends!” Join Stacey at the start line on May 7, 2022 and register for the Indy Mini today!