#59 - Robyn McGillis and Marie Davis Markham on Wildwood and empowering young, female runners

Social Sport

Wildwood Running, launched in 2020, aims to empower female runners in mind and body through leadership, confidence, relationships, and resiliency. It was founded by Robyn McGillis and Marie Davis Markham.

Robyn McGillis was a competitive Track and Field and Cross Country runner at the high school and collegiate level. Competing for University of California (UC), San Diego, she was a national qualifier in the 800m and the mile relay. In 2000, Robyn completed her MBA at the University of Oregon. Robyn joined Central Catholic as an assistant Cross Country coach for the girls' team in 2013 and became the head coach in the fall of 2014. In 2014, Robyn led the RAMS to the Girls Cross Country District Championship and their first ever state meet berth. Robyn is also the current girls' distance coach for Track and Field beginning in 2014. Robyn was named Mt. Hood Conference Women's "Coach of the Year" in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Robyn and her husband Jeff live in North Portland and have two kids, Ella and Nate.

Marie Davis Markham has been running since an early age. She competed for the University of Oregon and ran post collegiately for the Nike Farm Team. After over a decade away from competitive running she joined her alma mater, Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon as an assistant Cross Country & Track & Field coach. She soon began important conversations called Girls Talk with high school girls around being strong in mind and body. In 2020 she co-founded Wildwood Running with Robyn McGillis. Together they are striving to support, teach & empower young girl distance runners and their coaches to be happy and healthy runners while focusing on being a whole person.

Discussed in this episode:

--Leadership Workshop

--Changes in high school running culture

--Mentorship program by Wildwood and Strong Runner Chicks

--Girls Talk

--Advice for coaches on bringing up hard topics with high school runners

--Shop Wildwood swag

--McFarland USA

--The Long Green Line

--“When people have the confidence to understand who they are, and the belief that they’re important and they matter, then they can make change in the world. I think sport does that for a lot of people.”-Marie Davis Markham

--“Success looks different for everybody. [Running] doesn’t have to be one-size fits all model. Otherwise, unhealthy behaviors come in that can impact your mental and physical health down the line.” -Robyn McGillis

--Follow Wildwood on Instagram

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–-Subscribe to the Social Sport Newsletter

*This episode is sponsored by OPE Running. Go to operunning.com and use code SOCIALSPORT for 15% off your order.

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