Get ready, Indy. Another running icon is coming to compete in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 5. Don’t know Alexi Pappas? You should.
A woman of many titles; Olympian, filmmaker, writer, essayist, actress and Greek national record holder are a few of those titles. An array of talents, yet they all encompass the physical grit and mental stamina embodied by a runner who commits herself to the vulnerability that brave running demands.
She artfully masters the daily grind as a professional athlete. The capacity of a running career is often misunderstood, in that training exists beyond scheduled workouts. Planned eating and sleeping are important to Pappas in the balancing act and pursuit of a goal. From Dartmouth to Eugene, Oregon, her thoughtful training has resulted in her success as an NCAA All-American, 10,000-meter national record holder, and Olympian.
Refreshed by her one year stint in Eugene, Pappas embraced the culture of the running town that built legends. It was the place that inspired the creation of “Tracktown”, a movie she co-wrote with her now fiancé, Jeremy Teicher. She also produced and starred in the movie, all while boasting an Olympic run. Nothing is out of the question for someone so driven and diverse. Her undergraduate years at Dartmouth were spent as a creative writing major, dabbling in improv groups among her athletic commitments.
Her passionate band of followers, also known as “Bravies,” feed off of her clever, witty and fearless motivation. Bravey, a self-coined term that capitalizes on a positive approach toward goals, is used as a noun to signify those who are brave in their actions, through running and beyond. Bravies take on their role in full-stride and many have displayed their devotion with a personal bravey tattoo. Pappas defined some stipulations to the tattoo via Twitter:
1. You must be brave.
2. Bravey must be written in your handwriting.
3. Tattoos are permanent and so is bravery.
Pappas’ impact transcends her running success and her outreach is rooted in intention.
Check out Alexi’s platforms of positivity across all social media and find out how to run WITH her in the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
Alexi’s Channels: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Feeling inspired to run like a Bravey? Indianapolis is paved for your graces on May 5! Register Here