GIRLS WHO RUN

Please come join us for an event where experts in nutrition, sports psychology, health & wellness, and empowerment, who are also champion and elite track & field and cross country athletes, share their knowledge, advice, and tips & strategies for keeping our young female runners healthy, safe and successful on their individual journeys.

- David Reisman, Conference organizer and host.

Contact: reismanda@yahoo.com

* Date: October 13, 2024. The event will begin at 12:30pm with a light lunch of sandwiches, salads and fruit. Our speakers will begin at 1:00pm and will present until 4:30pm. 

 Lauren found running at age 13 as an adventurous, scrappy kid looking for a place to belong. A top high school recruit out of California, Lauren went on to win five NCAA titles and 15 All-American honors to earn a spot in the Stanford University Hall of Fame. In her 12 years as a pro she won USA championships and international competitions, represented Team USA many times, and finished as high as 7th in the world amid many years of injuries and setbacks. Lauren’s debut book, Good for a Girl: a Woman Running in a Man’s World, was an instant New York Times Best Seller and won the global William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2023. She does public speaking, hosts Wilder Running and Writing Retreats, and her work is being utilized by schools and teams around the world. She lives in Oregon with her two kids, Jude and Zadie. 

 Dr. Lennie Waite has over a decade of experience working with and studying elite performers. Prior to her career in sport psychology, Waite played soccer and ran track and cross country at Rice University. She was a top 10-honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, a multi-time scholar athlete for Conference USA, and a Conference USA and NCAA postgraduate scholarship award winner. On the track, she was a two-time NCAA All American in the mile and steeplechase and went on to compete internationally in the sport of track and field for nine years post-collegiately. She represented Great Britain at an Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, and multiple European Team Championship events. While pursuing professional athletics, Waite completed her PhD in Industrial / Organizational Psychology, where her research focused on topics including performance maximization, team dynamics, personality, and motivation. She is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), licensed psychologist (LP), and a member of the USOPC Sport Psychology Registry. Waite provides performance psychology consultation services to military personnel, business executives, professional sport teams, and works with elite and Olympic athletes across a range of sports. Waite is passionate about helping athletes maximize their performance and manage the stressors and pressures of elite sport. She continues to stay involved with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional level as a central part of her research and consulting in applied performance psychology.  

 Rachel Ahlberg, a former Division 1 cross country runner at the University of Texas, has firsthand experience with the physical and mental demands of competitive running. After a sacral stress fracture ended her collegiate running career, Rachel channeled her passion for health and wellness into founding RISE Modern Wellness with her husband. Based in Bend, Oregon, RISE focuses on enhancing physical and mental well-being for individuals across diverse lifestyles, with over 30 locations in development nationwide. Rachel believes competitive running can have lasting positive effects if channeled correctly, such as building the resilience needed to run a business and endure through different seasons of life. 

Yvonne Mai Graham, former world-class middle distance runner, represents Germany and Jamaica. Ranked as high as number three in the world and medals in world championships, world cups, and European cups. Winner of Grand Prix and still holds two national records. 

Co-owner of TFN Nutrition Center that takes care of elite athletes as well serving the community for over 25 years. 

Personal bests:  800m 1:58.32; 1500m 4:01.84; Mile 4:22.97; 3000m 8:37.07