EVERETT — The Marysville community came together on Saturday at Ebey Waterfront Park for the second-annual Women’s Health and Wellness Freedom Run to uplift women’s voices and promote women’s mental and physical health.
BRE Innovative Solutions, founded by Autrina Martindale, hosted the event. Over 115 people took part, including runners, vendors and volunteers, Martindale said in an interview on Monday. That’s up from last year when a total of 75 people attended.
Martindale wanted the event to be “an example of what community could, should and hopefully more frequently in the future would look like,” she said. “Living here for the last decade was horrible because there’s so much division — political division, social division.”
Fostering a sense of community promotes empathy and understanding of others, which reduces division and improves mental health, Martindale said.
“I wanted us to lean into what is actually wellness, which is community — not isolation, not a lot of division — so leaning into each other,” she said.
Also, it was important to connect community and mental wellness to physical activity, Martindale said. She wanted to help the moms over 40 keep up with their cardio.
Cardiovascular exercise can improve brain functionality, studies show, so participating in a 5K event can benefit mental health in multiple ways.
The event had an incredible feeling of camaraderie, according to Sojn Hudson, a member of the planning committee.
“As people were coming across the finish line, I think that was always exciting. I was there helping cheer folks on and handing out their medal as they came across,” Hudson said. Crossing the finish line was “an accomplishment of not just completing a 5K but also in feeling good about myself and my health.”
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Participants included breast cancer survivors, moms and students who have felt marginalized and international exchange students who were finding it difficult to build community, Martindale said. People traveled from Arlington, Bellingham, Tacoma, Bellevue and Lynden.
Marysville City Council member Peter Condyles was in attendance. Also, Renae James, representing Soroptimist, Ms. Marysville — Anna Hiatt — and Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn attended.
“I was proud to be a sponsor and to assist with the planning and coordination of the event,” Dunn said in an email. “Autrina and the other volunteers organized a meaningful event to highlight the need for improving women’s health and wellness.”
Vendors like GirlTREK and the Snohomish County Health Department handed out information and resources. A community art table provided a creative outlet, and the R3 Wellness Clinic gave out free 10-minute massages.
The event also promoted a future anti-bullying campaign, Martindale said. BRE is testing workshops in Marysville that will help young people understand themselves better, build relationships and learn conflict resolution.
The goal is to prevent bullying through empathy and community building, she said.
If you would like to volunteer with BRE Innovative Solutions, visit bre-is.com/contact.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Matindale planned to launch anti-bullying workshops within the Marysville School District. No official plan is in place. At this time, BRE is testing with small student groups in Marysville.
Also, city council member Mark James was not in attendance. His wife Renae James was there.
Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay
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