NYRR Striders Celebrates National Grandparents Day
At NYRR Striders, we believe in the power of movement to unite and empower all, regardless of age or ability. Striders is helping keep adults fit and connected to their communities, especially during this time of stay-at-home recommendations, by providing free virtual resources that motivate and inspire an active lifestyle and improved quality of life.
To learn more about how NYRR Striders can make a difference in your life, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or email us at striders@nyrr.org.
In celebration of National Grandparents Day (September 13), some of our Striders coaches and members share their experiences of walking, running, and just moving together with their grandchildren. We wish all of our Striders—and all of you—a happy National Grandparents Day!
Rosa Valentin, Member, Kips Bay Castle Hill Senior Center
My two grandchildren come with me wherever I go, especially during the summer months. Before the pandemic started, we spent our Saturday mornings attending Open Run in Soundview Park. Open Run gives us the opportunity to exercise as a family. My grandkids would run their laps together while I powerwalked them. Some days they joined with me during my powerwalk. My grandchildren have also attended Striders sessions with me. They were surprised by how much fun we were having. It shows you that exercise can be fun, no matter the age.
Nereida Munoz, Coach
I love being the grandmother of my eight amazing grandchildren. Two of my grandsons, Atom and Ion, live in New York City. Before the pandemic, I would pick them up from school after coaching my Striders sessions. We’d walk the streets of Brooklyn while having a light snack. Some days, we’d play games during the walk—I’d ask the boys to either run, skip, or kick a ball. As COVID-19 began to impact our city, we moved our meetups to Zoom. After five months of not seeing Atom and Ion, I finally got to see them for a social distance walk at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to walk with my grandsons and see their smiling faces as we enjoyed the fresh air. I look forward to the day when we can do our daily after-school walks again.
Mitchell Strong, Coach
I am the grandfather of four amazing grandchildren. They are my motivation and it makes me proud that I inspire them. My 18-year-old granddaughter, Kiana, who lives in Australia, always brags about her grandfather. We may be half a world away, but she is proud of her grandpa. I tell her all the time that one day we will run the Melbourne Marathon together and she looks at me like I have two heads! There is a 5K run in conjunction with the marathon and she promised that she would walk the 5K with her grandpa.
Maria Romano, Coach
Every summer my grandchildren come from California to New York to visit me. Before the pandemic, there were two places I’d take them each week during their summers here: church and Van Cortlandt Park for the summer race series. One summer, my granddaughter saw another child and his family run a 5K, so she wanted to run one as well. I told her about the tough hills of VCP and that only being 7 years old, maybe the distance was too long for her. Being persistent, she was able to convince me to let her run the race. It was her first time running a 5K and she completed it in 31 minutes! As her grandmother and a runner, I couldn’t have been more proud. I guess you can say she gets the running genes from me!
Myna Majors, Coach
I am the happy grandparent of three grandchildren. All three of them are active just like their grandma. They love running, soccer, football, and basketball. One summer my oldest grandson ran a 10K with me. He’d never run that distance before, but he wanted to be out there to support grandmom. Having my grandson run the 10K with me was one of my proudest race moments!
Get Involved
Our mission at NYRR is to help and inspire people through running. The NYRR Striders program demonstrates that anyone, no matter their age or ability, can be active. By incorporating strength, balance, and flexibility exercises and fitness activities into all our sessions, we offer something for everyone. As the saying goes, “Age is just a number”—it’s never too late to get moving! Learn more about all that NYRR Striders has to offer.