TURNING A NEW PAGE
Author Mina Samuels motivates women to
Story: James Combs
Watching a best friend run a marathon or witnessing a family member complete 50 push-ups at the gym easily could motivate women to pursue their own athletic feats.
Mina Samuels would argue that an inspirational book has the same effect.
In June, the 53-year-old lawyer-turned-human rights advocateturned author from New York City released her latest book, “Run Like a Girl 365 Days a Year: A Practical, Personal, Inspirational Guide for Women Athletes.”
The book, which is modeled after the popular thought-aday books, provides 365 entries for a year’s worth of running inspiration. An avid exercise enthusiast, Mina’s transformative life journey helped her discover that a woman’s physical strength translates into psychological strength.
“In the book, I share personal stories, I share stories of women I’ve interviewed, and I share insights that I gleaned along my personal journey,” she says. “I reveal how women can build confidence by participating in sports such as running or yoga. My hope is that this book will engage women to fulfill their potential.”
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Healthy Living gained insight into Mina’s interesting life during a recent phone interview:
Q: You’re originally from Canada. What brought you to the United States?
A: I was a litigation lawyer in Toronto and then I moved to New York City in 1993 to enroll in a master’s degree program studying international law and human rights at Columbia University. I then spent several years as a human rights advocate.
Q: So, you went from being a lawyer to a human rights advocate to a writer. Those are big career jumps. Was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to become a writer?
A: I’m an outdoorsy kind of girl. After moving to New York City, I had built up my endurance to the point where I could run one loop (six miles) around Central Park two or three times a week. I was studying law at Columbia University, and one day the law librarian asked me about running. She had competed in marathons and was super-impressed after I told her I ran “10” several times a week. I couldn’t figure out why. As I was walking back to my apartment, I realized she thought I meant 10 miles. I come from Canada, so I was referring to 10 kilometers. I was mortified because I couldn’t run 10 miles. That’s an impossibly long distance. I told myself that I’d approach her the following day and correct myself. Instead, I went home, put on my running clothes, and I ran two loops (12 miles) around Central Park. No training manual would ever tell you to up your mileage like that, but it did something wonderful for me. I became
super-aware that the person I had woken up as thought she was capable of one thing and the person I went to bed as realized she was capable of much more. It caused me to rethink my life. What other things could I achieve that seem to be outside my capacity? That was the first step—literally and figuratively—into moving my life into a different direction.
Q: So, essentially that helped springboard your transition into writing?
A: Correct. It was a transformative moment. It enabled me to have more faith in the idea that transformation is possible and that I might surprise myself if I take a different path. Writing had been a childhood and teen passion of mine. It was one of those things where once I started writing again, it demanded
more time from me. Now when I look back, it was just a calling.
Q: What was your first book?
A: “The Queen of Cups,” which is a novel about the fictionalized journals of Juliette, a mysterious woman with a troubled past who never loses her belief in the power of redemption. “Run Like a Girl” was my first nonfiction book. I also was a ghostwriter for a number of books. As years went by, I realized I wanted to work on my own books as opposed to other people’s books. I asked myself what I was passionate about, and it took about five seconds of thinking. What I was passionate about was sports in women’s lives and our ability to engage our full potential.
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A TRUE ROLE MODEL
Kathrine Switzer during the 1967 Boston Marathon incident.
Q: In the subtitle, you use the words “women’s athletes.” Some may think you’re addressing professional female athletes. Can you elaborate on what you mean by “women’s athletes?”
A: It was a word put in the title by my publisher. Initially, I was worried that it would turn people off. However, I came to peace with it after I began wondering who the women are who will read the book, become inspired by it, and feel the book is a companion for them on the road. The answer is an athlete is a person who is pursuing personal excellence. So, the book is not just for athletes; it’s written for all women to break free of societal norms and
live up to their full potential. That’s how I think of that word in the title.
Q: What do you hope women get from reading your book?
A: When they read it, they’ll discover that they’re not alone in the ways they feel challenged, find themselves struggling, or feel confused about. Knowing you’re not alone in life’s struggles gives you that little extra bump you need to lace up your running shoes or participate in a new activity. I want the book to inspire women to take an action that will cause her to think of herself with more esteem.
MINA’S FIVE INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS ON GETTING YOUR LIFE BACK IN BALANCE:
A NOD TO THE POD
Many people listen to music while exercising. Mina takes a different approach. She prefers listening to podcasting, a form of audio broadcasting on the internet that can be downloaded and listened to at any time. The podcasts she listens to cover a variety of healthrelated topics, from weight loss and cycling to nutrition and meal planning.
“When I’m running or doing crosscountry skiing, it’s really awesome for me to hear something fascinating or learn something new about the world of health,” she says. “Then I tell myself, ‘I need to do some research into that because it sounds like an interesting topic.’”
Practice balance. Literally. Do tree poses. Stand on one leg while you’re washing dishes. Learn how to slackline (balancing on a narrow strip of webbing). As you connect with the feeling of balance physically (notice:
1
2 Know that balance is a dynamic works today may not work tomorrow. Tune in to your moods. Keep a journal of how you feel throughout each day and look for patterns of what situations or people cause highs often followed by lows). Adjust your priorities accordingly.
3 Imagine that goal. You may reach your ambition wonderful in possibility. Balance is found in being open and adaptable. Balance is
4 Perfection is a because trying to be perfect most often throws us off balance. Excellence is standards. Find your own best self.
5 when you do absolutely nothing except feel how you feel.
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“In the book, I share personal stories, I share stories of women I’ve interviewed, and I share insights that I gleaned along my personal journey,. I reveal how women can build confidence by participating in sports such as running or yoga. My hope is that this book will engage women to fulfill their potential.”
— Mina Samuels
