Ep 230 Hope Is Always Possible, And Miracles Are Real: With Amanda Ferrin
Running brings people together. Sometimes, it does much more. It stitches hope back into a life that’s been torn by illness, fatigue, and fear. This week’s conversation follows that thread. We start with a lighthearted check-in. We talk about cold-weather banter, Florida’s near-perfect running temps, and cheerful community updates. Then, we move with purpose into training notes for Princess Weekend and Springtime Surprise.
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Hope Is Always Possible, And Miracles Are Real
Amanda Ferrin—The Running Miracle—whose story re frames what finish lines mean. Living with a rare autoimmune disease and chronic organ challenges, Amanda found running by way of walking and joy. A spontaneous 7K at Mile High happened first. Then, she got a last-minute Disneyland 10K bib. These events opened a door she never expected: Dopey, world majors, and a community that saw more than her diagnosis. She explains scleroderma’s impact with clarity and grace. She shares how constant pain meets movement’s dopamine lift. She shows how celebration—sequins, smiles, and stickers—can be a daily practice, not a mood. The takeaway is simple and strong: movement is medicine, community is fuel, and delight can be a discipline.
Amanda’s calendar grew from local 10Ks to London, New York, and a four-day century walk in the Netherlands. Along the way, she learned the art of chasing big goals with soft hands. Hold them with urgency. Accept pivots. Savor each mile. Her 180-mile challenge morphed into 220 when health shook plans; her stubborn optimism met logistics, recovery windows, and shoe leather. Threaded through is a lesson for every athlete. Big outcomes are built from small choices. Show up, breathe, hydrate, and dance if you can, joy multiplies.
Facing expensive, specialized treatment, Amanda stepped back from social media, and friends stepped forward. Overnight, the runDisney family rallied more than $25,000 to fund surgery and a tailored antibiotic protocol. The news lifted a weight she’d carried for years—suddenly, hope wasn’t abstract; it was scheduled, billable, and ready. Recovery is still a road. Now it’s marked with mileposts: Princess (maybe), Springtime Surprise, New York City Half, Rome, Paris, and London. These destinations are possible if the body—and the doctors—say yes. The message to listeners: your presence matters. Your cheer, your donation, your “you’ve got this” can become someone’s new chapter.
The Race Report Sponsored by Stoked Metabolic Coaching
In the return of the Race Report Spotlight, we are joined by Keri Ann. She ran the Superhero 5k in Orange Park, Florida. Where she got a 1st in her age group and set a PR in her 5k Time. She tells us how she got into running. She describes some of the superhero costumes on the course. She shares her favorite superhero sighting, Quailman.
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