FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Small steps turned into big strides.
Having a healthy lifestyle, promoting health for my patients and having fun, you need that too,” says Dr. Huiwen Hao, a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente.
It was during the Two Cities Marathon in 2016 that Dr. Hao finished her first marathon at the age of 51.
“When Kaiser sponsored us in 2016 with Fleet Feet, and they have this coaching program,” she said. “I signed up without knowing what I was getting into.”
Sometimes it wasn’t always easy to stay on track.
Support from her coach and friends helped her push through, and when she made it to the finish —
“It was a euphoric kind of feeling,” she said. “You get so excited.”
It was all the more rewarding.
That inspired her to chase after more marathons.
Just one week after finishing her first race, she was already onto the next.
“Several of our friends, we signed up for the Monterey Half Marathon the next week,” Dr. Hao said. “We consulted with the coach, and he said, ‘Yeah, you did the training, so you’re ready. You can do the next one.”
Over the years, Dr. Hao has checked off the six major marathons in the world, including the Boston and New York marathons.
She’s even run seven marathons on seven different continents.
Just this year, she even finished a marathon at the North Pole, making her part of The Marathon Grand Slam Club.
“We took the cruise there, and it was quite the adventure,” Dr. Hao said.
Dr. Hao plans to run in this weekend’s Two Cities Marathon.
She encourages anyone who is starting their own running journey to go at their own pace and take it one step at a time.
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