Interview with Amanda Stank, Founder of Run for HER
When you feel moved, you can move to do something about it. That’s exactly what Amanda Stank did to serve the women in her community.
“Our goal was to get about 20 women to sign up and raise about $10,000,” Amanda said. “We never imagined it would turn into something so big.”
Amanda created Run for HER as a women’s trail run to raise money for women who are made to feel without options to care for their families. Participants had the option to complete a 12K or 25K trail run with a recommended goal of each raising $500.
“It was important to us that women were specifically fundraising for other women,” Amanda said, “because when the training and fundraising became difficult, we wanted to be able to relate to the women we were fundraising for. The level at which our lives become difficult is very different, but love is still love, and fear is still fear. We know what that feels like.”
The inaugural Run for HER was held on May 21, 2022, and it made a significant impact. There were 64 participants, consisting mostly of moms, who logged a total of 447 miles. Together, these passionate runners raised an astounding $40,529.48 to support and empower women both locally and internationally through a local organization and through Himalayan Entrepreneur Resources (HER).
Amanda’s Story: Starting Run for HER with Venture Miles
Venture: What inspired you to start Run for HER?
Amanda: I know that there are so many other women out there that thrive pushing their bodies to extremes in nature, and, more importantly, I know there are so many other women out there that don’t know what they are missing. Give me a group of women who want to change the trajectory of lives of women in tough places and access to a trail, and you have a Run for HER event.
Give me a group of women who want to change the trajectory of lives of women in tough places and access to a trail, and you have a Run for HER event.
Amanda Stank
Venture: Why did you focus on running rather than biking or hiking?
Amanda: I just knew when you can combine a group of individuals, who love the trail, with a cause like Venture, it was going to be a huge success. So, it was also really important to us, as women, that we were specifically fundraising for other women. It was a huge win that Venture can make that work for us, that our funds are specifically going toward women in need.
Venture: What’s something you learned through starting Run for HER?
Amanda: The biggest thing I had to learn was to be more dependent on others, learning how to delegate a lot, because when you have the responsibilities as “race founder” or “race coordinator” and you’re having to train to run sixteen miles on a trail–it’s a lot.
I’m not used to delegating. I don’t like delegating. I would rather do it all myself because I know it’ll get done right! I think that was my biggest growth through it all, and that’s like the story of Jesus. He’s like, “Just depend on me. Don’t try to do everything yourself.” I think it definitely all came to that.
Venture: How did running this event impact your family?
Amanda: On a practical level, I was busy training and planning the event, so my kids had to learn to go to my husband, rather than me, for things. On a deeper level, I think my kids, in their own kid sort of way, were inspired by it all. At the event itself, I saw my kids yelling and screaming, encouraging me along the trail. That was so impactful. I know it’ll be a memory they will have for the rest of their lives, so when something like this comes along where they are asked, “Hey, will you do this?” I think it’ll be an easy yes, because they’ve been exposed to it.
Venture: What is your ultimate goal with Run for HER?
Amanda: Initially, it was simply meeting a need in our community. Women needed something to do and to look beyond themselves. That is a need I saw, and we definitely met that goal, which was awesome. We created a sense of community. After going through it for one season, I now know our goal: making this available to as many communities as possible.
Venture: What are your plans for next year?
Amanda: We had a really great participation from Westbridge people, and we had a lot of people that were inviting friends or relatives that don’t go to Westbridge. Through our training, we ran into quite a few people, and they’re like, “What is this?” So to give them the opportunity where it’s easy for them to get involved is definitely our goal for next year.
Though Westbridge will be very much involved, I would love to almost “un-church” it a bit so that this event caters to people who don’t normally attend a church or attend Westbridge, because it’s definitely not a requirement that they attend to impact others’ lives.
Venture: What are some tips that you would give someone who’s interested in running?
Amanda: I’ve got two things. First, find your tribe. Find the people that are at your level, but then find the people to be inspired by. Second, have grace–for yourself, for others, and for your coordinators. Because when you don’t have that grace, you’re hanging onto things, and it’s like literally extra weight you’re having to train with, and run with, and it’s literally not doing anybody any good.
Venture: What positive results will someone experience by participating in Run for HER?
Amanda: A more confident and purer form of themselves. Training for and experiencing Run for HER with a community of women who have grace for themselves and each other is life changing. Our main demographic is moms. Moms tend to bury themselves in the needs of their families, and so to challenge and hold them accountable to carve out time to train, they inadvertently end up discovering who they are and, more importantly, their potential.
And, ironically enough, when that training seems futile and overwhelming, it’s that very instinct to meet needs that pushes them through as they simply have to think about the moms/women/girls who will be benefiting from the fundraising.
Want to Start a Venture Miles Event?
Starting an event through Venture Miles changes lives. Not only for the participants and beneficiaries but for the founder as well. This is true for Amanda and every other event founder we’ve worked with.
You can host a Run for HER event near you or start an entirely new Venture Miles event. Either way, we’re excited to hear from you! Let’s see how we can partner together and bring your vision to life. Just email Jeremy, our Venture Miles Coordinator, at jeremy@venture.org to start the conversation.