Winning in More Ways Than One

Heather Schulz has run 40 marathons, but sharing a passion with her daughter is her greatest win.

For UCF alumna Heather Schulz, it runs in the family.

BY BRITTANY CALDWELL

The early morning air is cool with a charge of energy, perfect for a run. UCF alumna Heather Schulz stretches out at the starting line of UCF’s U Can Finish 5-mile race on Oct. 17, 2021. Once the air horn blows, she takes off, putting one foot in front of the other. Her goal is to take it easy, coming off the heels of her 40th marathon.

“Just remember, have fun, and enjoy the experience.”

That’s what Heather tells her daughter, Amber Schulz, when she is worried about making a specific time or placing before running a race. Amber is grateful for the nudge to step back and remember that everything will be okay — no matter what the race result is.

With all that Amber has accomplished, from qualifying for the track and field Junior Olympics to her state-level performances, it has been a difficult journey. After overcoming an eating disorder from seventh grade to her sophomore year of high school, she got injured, and her mom was her rock.

“Having my mom, who is in the sport of running, understand that there was so much pressure to live up to this certain standard ... It was good to have a mom that could help guide me through [my eating disorder] ... Everybody has their own different paths, and she really helped guide me through that,” she said.

Understanding and witnessing the physical and mental toll of running has led Heather and Amber to lean on each other for support and discuss what truly matters.

“We should be happy and feel blessed that we can go out and do this and just enjoy the moment and not put pressure on ourselves because running isn’t all about winning and being the fastest,” Heather said. “It’s about longevity, passion for the sport and inspiring others.”

Heather continues to inspire others today. Her Instagram page took off in 2012, and she realized a lot of runners were motivated by her updates. Amber started her social media platform as @amberunz and encouraged her mom to rename her account to @heatherunz. They’ve been sharing their journeys and seeing the impact of their inspirational messages on the running community ever since, with over 100,000 followers combined.

The mother and daughter duo continue to share the same passion, and Amber said this running lifestyle has brought them closer together.

“I could never imagine not having my mom that’s always running because it’s kind of our thing,” Amber said.

While Heather introduced running to her daughter early on by bringing her along to her races, she didn’t force it on her. Her parenting style focused on having fun and discovering natural skills. She emphasized that their bond would’ve been just as strong if Amber was interested in a different passion, which Amber appreciates.

“My mom was very open to me doing other sports and trying new things, and I did running for a while; I actually ended up taking a break for a little bit as well,” Amber said. “And I think just her approach to making it fun and not having a lot of pressure — it really just made me love this sport for what it is and not just because I felt like I had to do it because my mom did it.”

Amber has committed to High Point University in North Carolina, where she’ll continue to run crosscountry and track with a healthier perspective.

As for Heather, she’ll continue to run and show her daughter the resilience she has toward the sport.

“It's about being the best you can be on that day — no matter what it is — even if you're not in shape and inspiring others ... ,” Heather said. “We're all going to face challenges in life, but that doesn't mean that you don't keep pursuing what you love to do; it doesn't mean that you give up.”