Mothers, daughters bond during long-distance walks

By Rhonda Johnston Cox
Her

Monday, June 15, 2009

It's 5:30 p.m. and time for me to leave work and put on my "mom" hat. My family depends on me to meet their evening needs, which means preparing dinner, assisting with homework, playing with the children and spending quality time with my significant other.

That's why I struggled for years with fitting one more thing in my life. In addition to work and family, I participate in Girl Scouting, schoolwork to obtain my PhD, board meetings for volunteer organizations and an occasional three-mile walk.

Nevertheless, during the summer of 2008, thanks to my girlfriend Terry Congleton, I managed to fit in one more activity that has changed my life forever.

Terry told me that she and her daughters were training for to walk a half-marathon (13.2 miles) with a group of other local mothers and daughters. I was happy for them, but I didn't think about joining the group with my own daughter, Brittany. After much urging from Terry, I reluctantly made the leap. Brittany was thrilled, but I was nervous — because the longest I had ever walked was three miles. I ran two miles during my college ROTC days — but that was a long time ago. How could my daughter and I possibly walk 13.2 miles?

My anxiety diminished when I learned that the women of the Half-Marathon Mother-Daughter group were just like me. They were corporate executives, physicians, nurse managers, social workers, and school principals. Their daughters were former Girl Scouts, played soccer and softball. However, the elements we shared the most may have been focus and discipline.

Those two characteristics were obvious in our trainer. Kristine Kelly-Salamon bears an impressive display of accomplishments in her home. Plaques, pictures and ribbons from her successes in the countless marathons, triathlons, sprints and other events in which she has participated adorn an entire wall. I knew that Brittany and I were in excellent hands.

Kristine is an everyday mom and wife who did Girl Scouting with her daughter, Olivia and cheers for her at softball games. Kristine is a trauma nurse at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, yet she finds time to train for marathons as well as prepare others for various races. Before I realized it, Kristine has us all enjoying walking up to 10 miles regularly on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

After many months of training, I put on my hot-pink OBX 2008 T-shirt, joined our army of moms and daughters and stormed the Outer Banks on a crisp November morning. We geared up for our trek by rocking it out to "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" and then started stepping for 13.2 miles. Compliments from spectators poured all over our entire group. It was an unforgettable day.

I am so glad I met Kristine and our special group of mothers and daughters. Walking is no longer a chore or something to fit in my life. I now plan it and look forward to it.

Rhonda Johnston Cox of Greenville is vice president of marketing for Suddenlink, a Girl Scout Leader in Pitt County, president of the Board for Pitt Literacy Volunteers, and a mother of two daughters, ages 3 and 10.

Mother/Daughter Half-Marathoners

The 26 members of the Mother/Daughter Half-Marathoners of Pitt County are doctors, corporate leaders, nurse managers, nonprofit organizational leaders, and principals of schools with demanding jobs. But they find time to walk for a healthier lifestyle, while bonding with their daughters.

Members:

• Patty and Morgan Bloom,
• Terry, Cameron and Tyler Congleton
• Hilda and Mia Connell
• Rhonda and Brittany Cox
• Rae, Sarah and Grace Fountain
• Nancy, Lennos and Taylor Gossett
• Laura and Katherine Hamill
• Amy and Bailey Hattem
• Luann and Mary Charles Manning
• Wendy and Ashley Proctor
• Kristine and Olivia Salamon
• Kerri Vos

Want to Join?

For more information on how you can join the Mother-Daughter ½ Marathoners to train for OBX 2009, contact Kristine Kelley-Salamon at kksalamo@gmail.com.