member spotlight
HAC MEMBER
KELLY HOROWITZ by Garrett Powell & Lisa Maguire
Kelly Horowitz is an incredible athlete , but you ’ d never know it because she ’ s also incredibly humble . Kelly is a competitive marathon runner who has collected numerous accomplishments across her running career . Though she has her good days and bad days with running , she always finds the motivation to push herself and get out there to be the best person she can be .
When asked why she runs , Kelly says she does it simply for herself and her health , both physically and mentally . Running is a key element in her life to keeping a healthy lifestyle . She says it ’ s also used as a sort of therapy tool . It provides her with the opportunity to get outside and just have some “ me time ” and enjoy the activity she loves .
Kelly hasn ’ t always been a runner – she started a little later on , after high school and college . It began as just a hobby when she was a teacher – a way to get outside and stay in shape . This is where her love of running grew into what it is today . She started out with 5ks and quickly progressed to marathons . That ’ s when she met her coach and longtime advocate and supporter , Jim Fischer , a former track and field coach at the University of Delaware . As Kelly puts it , “ he finds pure joy in helping people realize their potential and giving you the tools to get there . Jim would ride his bike next to me on my lonely 20 mile runs . He also would ride with me on my hilly 7 mile runs through Pike Creek ... even getting caught in a lightning storm at 5:00 in the morning . Now , that ’ s dedication and a true friend .”
When the two first met , Jim was impressed with this seemingly “ average ” female who
I want to show [ my children ] that I ’ m a strong and independent mom that can conquer anything I set my mind on .
Kelly ( middle ) with HAC Personal Trainer Dina Saitis and Coach Jim Fischer
was running 70 miles a week without getting injured , despite not having formal training in running . He saw tremendous potential in Kelly and gave her not only direction , but the confidence to push herself . “ After our initial meeting , I started to go to the track and do speed work ,” Kelly said . “ We focused on keeping a 5k pace for 1,000 meters with a quarter mile jog between . He felt my strength as a runner was mileage and hills . Due to this new component of training , my times started to drop .” Running not only led Kelly to a lifelong friend in Jim , but this hobby-turned-passion is also how she met her husband . Running marathons allowed Kelly and her husband to travel the world , competing in London , Scotland , South Dakota , and Arizona .
Fast forward in her life to now , she has children and a host of new responsibilities that easily could have knocked her off course , but rather they changed her motivations . Instead of it only being a way to “ stay fit ,” it ’ s now important to Kelly to provide a positive example for her children – “ I want to show them that I ’ m a strong and independent mom that can conquer anything I set my mind on .” Even being so powerfully motivated , having a strong support network is crucial .
Kelly at the 2016 Boston Marathon
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