Rising Hearts July Blog Updates
HAPPY PRIDE TO ALL OF OUR SACRED ADAPTIVE KIN!
July marks Disability Pride Month, a time to honor the history, achievements, and resilience of the adaptive community. It’s more of a celebration it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, accessibility, and equity for all. Join us as we celebrate pride, advocate for change and continue to build a more inclusive world. Check out our Disability 5k. If there is anything you would like to promote please reach out to lex@rising-hearts.org. July is also a time for us to reflect on our busy June and share in some amazing highlights with you!
NEXT AWARENESS + ACTION EVENTS:
+Disability 5k | 7/1/25 - 7/14/25
+ Trail Running Film Festival | July 26, 2026 | Harrisonburg VA @ Sage Bird Ciderworks (5-7pm)
AREAS OF FOCUS:
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate Collective:
We are prioritizing our Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate Collective through our own fundraising and partnerships, to support our athletes in their running and advocacy. This has led to hosting panels, virtual panels and workshops, a handful of athletes sharing their voice and and experiences on podcasts and other media platforms, a special book project with one of our athletes and this collective, supporting their initiatives, providing gear, shoes, and stipends. All possible through our fundraisers and partnerships within the running/outdoor industry. To learn more about our athletes and to be part of it, visit www.risinghearts.org/runningwithpurpose.
We have had several Athlete Advocates this year in 2025, attend some big races like the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon and London Marathon! We have a handful of new Athlete Advocates part of the team and we can’t wait to share a special blog and newsletter, spotlighting them! And several of them have helped support our virtual movement events like the 5th Annual Running On Native Lands, 3rd Annual Earth Day 5k + Plogging Challenge, 7th Annual Running For Justice, and #LetThemRun Pride 5k with in person group run and walks in their community!
Running On Native Lands Initiative:
Our Running On Native Lands Initiative is in constant growth. We are updating the toolkit and will be creating a more formalized process in becoming a partner. We had 16 consultations in 2024, with 5 that became partners and collaborators. We hope to have more consultations coming for 2025, as we raise more funds and submit for more grant funding, we will be able to expand and grow our partnerships more feasibly. Through more funds, we will have more opportunities to present and teach about going beyond a land acknowledgement, allowing us to meet more of community, help educate, and learn from community while being able to utilize our skills and connections to support land back efforts as well. So, we are looking forward to our annual virtual/in person Running On Native Lands community gatherings! Learn more at www.risinghearts.org/nativelands.
Exciting - Scott Flatlip (Apsaalooké (Crow), representing Rising Hearts and GU Energy Labs ran the 2025 Western States Endurance Run 100 and FINISHED! We are so excited for him and what he’s accomplished. Notably, Brandon Dugi (Diné, Hoka Runner), and Steven Ovah (Hopi), also ran the grueling 100 mile race as well! Steven sadly had to drop out at Forest Hill but it was so amazing to see 3 Indigenous men participate in this very prestigious and exclusive event. Our 2024 runner, Alex Staten, has her story in post production that we are working hard on! And hoping to get it premiered very soon - details TBD!
We are up to so much! And we hope to apply for more funding and we will keep raising funds as we go to keep us running in all ways. Wopila tanka, many thanks, to all of you for your support, and we look forward to our hearts moving forward together.
- Rising Hearts
NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK!
"Beyond the Game, Athletes Change the World: Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone”
The Beyond the Game series features athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss and illustrator DeAndra Hodge. This is the story of Indigenous professional runner Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone and her social justice work organizing and advocating for Indigenous people.
BOOK RELEASE DAY | JUNE 3, 2025:
What a start to the book launch and mini tour! Jordan flew to Nashville TN to collaborate with the Author of Beyond The Game, Andrew Maraniss, and to bring Rising Hearts along! The book release event began at Parnassus Book Store, with a full room, big crowd, guests standing on the sides and in the back. And the best part, having community groups, like The Exchange Running Collective there, and the youth! Jordan and Andrew were able to sign books, take pictures, and have an in depth discussion about her life story, running, advocacy and the book. Then, they had another event with The Exchange Running Collective!
Global Running Day 2025:
Then on this special day in Nashville TN, Rising Hearts and The Exchange Running Collective weeks of communications and planning, finally came together. A big turnout with community joined together for some miles, stroller miles, flash tattoos, food, child friendly activities, and a chance to listen to two panels with community voices and leaders. This was such a fun experience to bring Rising Hearts to! Share in the heart work we do, promote the book, sell merch, free giveaways, and learn from others. Our relationship began by our organizations being on the same panel led by the Running Industry Diversity Coalition at the 2024 The Running Event! So big shoutout to RIDC, for this opportunity to bring together community and it leading to future collaborations and friendships!
TRAILCON
TrailCon…there’s a lot to say here about this opportunity we had to fight for. And we won’t sugar coat it and our experience. And we plan to write something more in depth. However, for now, this was an opportunity to be in community, bring community in, and just feel joy in what each of us bring. That is the biggest highlight to share that filled up our hearts.
WESTERN STATES
Celia, Cal, Jordan, Lex, Magda, and Carolina.
Community Breathwork and connection exercise led by Lex
What a time! Year 4, Rising Hearts has been putting in a lot of heart work, raising our voices, consulting, educating and connecting with the sponsors and community, to help push this race and event, in a direction where everyone, can see themselves, feel like this is something they want to sign up for, be supported, and create opportunities to have voices heard! This year, we were able to continue with our Kinship Building: Running Towards Meaningful Connection panel, with Faith Akioyamen (2025 Western States Finisher!!!), Carolina Rubio MacWright (Touching Land, 2024 WS100 Finisher), Cal Calamia (2 Hot 4 Hoodies, Non Binary Run Club, RH Athlete Advocate), Jordan Marie Whetstone (RH Founder + Lead Organizer), and Celia Camargo (GU Energy Labs, Director of Community + Purpose).
This is year 4 in supporting Indigenous runners at this race, as we co-sponsor them with GU Energy Labs! But this year, was our first time, being able to collaborate with Hoka. Before the panel, we were able to start the morning, bright and early, with the Hoka Shakeout run, where we brought PRIDE into it, created a spotlight to hear from Rising Hearts, Cal Calamia, and Lauro Silva of Tierre Libre Run. We were also guided through connection and breathework with Lex, our Programs Coordinator, to help set the tone and energy in a good way with community. Then, we were off for the 4 miles! And of course, we got a lot of love for our shirts, “I HOPE U KNOW HOW LOVED U ARE” so if you want to support who made them, visit Classroom of Compassion and on IG: @classroomofcompassion.
Again, it was our first time finally being able to connect with Hoka, to collaborate on this run, table at the event, and to have Hoka support our Athlete, with gear, and support. GU Energy Labs continued to show up with not only helping to share this entry with Rising Hearts, but also provide fuel, funds, and coaching, to ensure our athletes have all the best chances possible to reach that finish line.
We were so happy to support Herman Fillmore at the Wasiw Cultural Presentation at High Camp and his educational presentation about his homelands at the Runner’s Meeting for Western States. This marks 4 years of learning, supporting, and advocating for more the next year and improve.
Western States wasn’t just about increasing Indigenous Representation at this prestigious and exclusive race. That was just our entry point. We see this as an opportunity to push for more, advocate with community, and to invite / hold the door open for community voices who we work work, or inspired by, to have their say and experience shared. We have seen more and more energy, pushing this event and race to become more community centered, safe, and accessible. And we are truly grateful to be part of it. Here’s to Year 5!
Faith, Carolina, Cal, Jordan, and Celia | Post Western States Kinship Building Panel
Herman Fillmore (Wasiw), educating, sharing, and acknowledging his homelands.
UPCOMING RUNS
Join Rising Hearts as we celebrate and support our sacred community for Disability Pride Month. Wear Black to show your solidarity and roll, run, dance or walk in solidarity with our sacred kin! This is RH first Disability Pride 5k and we hope to raise enough money for organizations in these communities to show our support. RAFFLE ITEMS TO COME SOON! And join virtual team RISING HEARTS!
The colors of Disability Pride
Black: Represents the barriers and darkness faced by people with disabilities.
Red: Represents physical disabilities.
Gold: Represents neurodiversity.
White: Represents invisible and undiagnosed disabilities.
Blue: Represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities.
Green: Represents sensory disabilities.
RAFFLE | Beaded Loom Bracelets made by Alexandria Staten (RH Athlete Advocate, GU Energy Labs Athlete):
1 Entry: $20
2 Entries: $35
3 Entries: $50
BENEFICIARIES
To expand societal awareness around disabilities and to foster spaces where everyone can have access to the transformative power of movement, community, and the great outdoors.
The Autistic People of Color Fund practices redistributive justice and mutual aid by returning and sharing money directly to and with autistic people of color. We provide microgrants to Black, Brown, Native, Asian, and mixed-race people in the autistic community for survival, organizing, leisure, and pleasure. We are committed to the principles of Disability Justice, including leadership by those most impacted, intersectionality, anti-capitalist politics, cross-movement solidarity, interdependence, collective access, and collective liberation. Our work is grounded in commitment to ending extractive economies and building and sustaining generative economies.
RUN REFLECTIONS
Scott Flatlip | Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate
Congratulations to you Scott!!!!!
From Scott on IG:
”Where Western States started and finished… Shoutout to my Crew- Sloane, Hudson, Madisyn, Bridger, and Roxanne (from GU Energy Labs). Thank you for helping me. Shoutout to my coach Stef Flippin for helping me get ready for this race. Shout out to Jordan Marie Whetstone and Rising Hearts for giving me an opportunity to run States and for making me feel like a champion. Lastly, shoutout to all those that watched and followed alolng, who prayed, and sent me good thoughts, and all those who reached out before, during, and after. Your support is greatly appreciated!”
Scott and Jordan, post Rising Hearts x GU Energy Labs Kinship Building Panel!
FUNDRAISE FOR RISING HEARTS
We had 11 runners in 2024, turning their passion into purpose! We came close to $15,000 for 2024! Here’s a chance to support our heart work through a different means - running! We hope to find 6 runners for 2025!
2025 RACES ARE OPEN!
WANT TO RACE FOR RISING HEARTS OUTSIDE OF THESE WE HAVE SELECTED?
Not seeing a race you want to run in this list? Check out all of the Wander Project events and choose the “Your Choice” option. They will reach out to learn more about your charity of choice and once you let them know that you’ll be running for Rising Hearts, they will make sure your funds come to support our mission!”
Athletes who want to support Rising Hearts for a race that is not listed, can sign up for any of the events on The Wander Project calendar: https://www.wanderproject.org/event-partners/ and pick 'Your Choice' for charity and then fill out the form to indicate they want to support Rising Hearts: (FAQ page here: https://www.wanderproject.org/athletes/frequently-asked-questions/)
Reach out to us via email, info@rising-hearts.org. Share with us your plans, then we’ll set you up with the link!
Want to run for Rising Hearts?
This is more new for us! We have a givelively link specifically for runners/individuals, who want to raise funds for the heart work we do! If it’s not through our partnership with The Wander Project, or our other partners at CIM or Boston, you can run for Rising Hearts at any race you choose and bring more fun and purpose to your why and the run.
We hope to get 35 Rising Hearts runners! And we have 25 runners now :) With a $36,400 projection of funds raised by the end of the year!
Suggested fundraising limits:
RH Athletes / Community = $500
Open to Community = minimum $800
Perks: RH Singlet, merch, stickers, fuel, and if shoes are needed, we can help you!
PODCASTS
Making Strides Stefanie Flippin and Carolyn Su
Co-hosted by elite ultrarunner Stefanie Flippin and Carolyn Su, this podcast delves into the experiences of BIPOC female runners. While the show primarily focuses on race, gender, and mental health, it also touches on topics relevant to the LGBTQ+ community. For instance, they discuss navigating microaggressions and the nuances of identity in the running world .
LISTEN HERE: https://open.spotify.com/show/3f8wmI5MgKCXkAdwG8XRzK?si=e17c839ce01749a8