A Modern Folk Heroine

One of Today's Sports' Heroines: Sara Cunningham

The world of folk heroines is changing. To keep up with the times, we are discovered new brands of folk heroines. As always, they come in all shapes and sizes and reflect our elemental beliefs about such values as hard work, honesty, and love. We admire these women because they not only show us ‘how to do what it right’ they also inspire us to be our best.

Sonoma State University intern Megan Cunningham has many folk heroines. One of them is her older sister. At my request, she agreed to write about this runner. It’s easy to see why she’s a folk heroine:

Running is one of the healthiest ways to get in shape and stay fit. There are so many different things you can do with running- interval training, hill repeats, a light jog, or a hard fast paced run. Many people hate the thought of running and it takes a lot of effort to get up and go, but once you finish a run the feeling after is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction which is an amazing feeling.

My sister Sara Cunningham is 24-years-old and has been playing sports since she was five-years-old. She started focusing on running cross country and track after entering high school. She fell in love with it and continued her running career at San Diego State University where she graduated in 2009. She continues to run every morning of the work week at 6am before she goes to her full time job. Occasionally she also runs on the weekends. This effort shows her dedication to a long-established exercise regime.

When others hear that she runs that early in the morning every day, they are shocked, surprised and impressed. “I run for many reasons. It keeps me active and healthy, it's a great way to get rid of my extra energy, and I genuinely enjoy it,” Sara says.

Another reason she runs is to give her dog, Medley exercise. Medley is a terrier who has a lot of energy and loves (and needs) runs and walks. He usually has tons of energy and needs exercise every day. However, there are days when Sara has to force him to get out of bed but once he is up, he is ready to go.

Along with running my sister tries to eat healthy by cooking for herself instead of going out to eat. Luckily she is always excited to try a new recipe. Aware that she is responsible for her own well-being, she also takes time for other healthy activities. Besides running, she enjoys beach volleyball, soccer, hiking and going to the beach. As her younger sister I have learned a lot from her healthy habits and have become an avid runner just like her.

Megan didn’t mention that she’s also a very good soccer player and is a member of Sonoma State’s Sea Wolves.