Jennifer says having Elliot changed fundraising from abstract to “incredibly personal.”
1. Run Your Story Podcast centers this episode on Jennifer Cooley, “Perseverance,” and the return of Night of Lights in Mobile.
2. Allison Gillyard hosts Jennifer Cooley, an UCP Mobile staff member and parent who links running experience to her work and family life.
3. The episode asks how half marathons, fundraising, and disability advocacy became part of one story.
4. Jennifer says her first half marathon was for Team in Training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, later called Blood Cancers United.
5. She describes the Nike Women’s Half in San Francisco, where the course, rain, Ghirardelli chocolate, and a Tiffany necklace made the race memorable.
6. She contrasts that with a faster Pensacola Beach half marathon and says the time dropped by almost 30 minutes.
7. Jennifer names local races like Joe King Classic, Delia trail run, and Spring Fever Chase in Fairhope as key parts of her running history.
8. She says the Spring Fever Chase is hilly, even though people may think of Fairhope as flat by the bay.
9. She identifies perseverance and grit as the biggest lessons from distance running, especially because she was not a fast runner.
10. She connects those lessons to raising money through Team in Training and later to her role at UCP Mobile.
11. Jennifer says having a child with Down syndrome and autism made fundraising feel “incredibly personal.”
12. She explains that Elliot’s diagnosis changed how she understood milestones and “inchstones.”
13. She says running prepared her for the emotional and practical demands of parenting a child with disabilities.
14. She recalls old gear like Bondi bands, a Nike shoe sensor, a Spybelt, and Asics, Newtons, and Hokas.
15. Her fueling memories include plain oatmeal with peanut butter, Jelly Belly Sport Beans, Noon tablets, and a post-race pizza in Savannah.
16. She says recovery used to mean ice baths, keeping moving after races, and learning from coaches in Team in Training.
17. Allison and Jennifer keep the tone conversational and personal, with laughter, corrections, and a few emotional pauses.
18. The format mixes race memories, practical running advice, and a detailed explanation of UCP Mobile’s services.
19. People who like running stories tied to disability advocacy will get the most from this episode.
20. People wanting a short, purely race-results recap will probably skip it.
