For a long time, I thought success in running was defined by paces, qualifications, and races. I chased those benchmarks because that’s what the running world told me mattered. And while I’m proud of what I’ve done—yes, even Boston—it wasn’t the medals or finish lines that gave me the deepest sense of purpose.
Running Boston was powerful because I ran it in the footsteps of Tarzan Brown, representing Native Women Running and Indigenous athletes everywhere. It wasn't long before this when I started to see my training differently. Through decolonization, I’ve been redefining what success looks like for me. Movement became more about connection, ceremony, and healing—and a lot less about proving myself on paper. Don't get me wrong, I still love to perform well but I'm able to enjoy that more now without the unnecessary pressure I placed on myself with arbitrary timelines.
But, that simple shift opened up joy again.
And that’s why I created the Movement as Medicine: A Joy Audit for Indigenous Athletes. It’s a simple, 8-page resource that helps you pause, reflect, and reframe training so it nourishes you instead of draining you.
Why Joy Matters in Training
Burnout doesn’t always look like quitting. Sometimes it’s showing up, but not really being there. It’s going through the motions, treating movement as punishment, or seeing every session as a box to check.
Joy flips that script.
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Joy makes movement sustainable.
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Joy turns training into ceremony.
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Joy reconnects us with land, ancestors, and self.
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Joy reminds us that movement isn’t just about outcomes—it’s medicine.
What You’ll Find Inside the Guide
The guide is short, simple, and designed to fit into your training journal or calendar. Inside, you’ll find:
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The Joy Audit Check-In → reflection prompts to uncover what fuels you and what drains you.
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Playful Prompts for Movement → cues to bring curiosity and fun into runs, hikes, or paddles.
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Joy Reclamation Tools → ideas like movement menus, reset rituals, and simple mindset shifts.
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Cultural Grounding Practices & Affirmations → ways to blend training with tradition, ceremony, and identity.
It’s not a training plan. It’s a reset button.
How to Use It
You don’t have to overhaul your training to use this guide. You can:
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Journal your Joy Audit at the start of a new training cycle.
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Drop a Playful Prompt into your next run as an experiment.
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Use a Reset Ritual—like starting a run facing East—to add ceremony to ordinary movement.
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Carry an affirmation with you on hard days: Joy is medicine. My pace is my prayer.
Free Instant Download
You can grab the full Movement as Medicine: A Joy Audit for Indigenous Athletes guide instantly, for free.
Movement is never just about fitness. For Indigenous athletes—and really for all of us—it’s about remembering. Remembering that movement can heal, ground, and connect us.
If you’re feeling stuck, burned out, or disconnected from training, this guide is my invitation to pause, reflect, and return to joy.
Because at the end of the day, movement is medicine.