every runner has a story
Meet Michelle Hoffert
► From: North Dakota
► Started Running: high school cross country
► Lakeland Runners Club 2022 Board President
Hoffert took a few years away from running after high school, and reconnected with the sport in 2013. In addition to being a RRCA certified running coach, Michelle has run the Boston Marathon twice and has Overall Female wins at Moon over Croom, the Pinellas Trail Challenge and X-Country 30k.
What is your favorite thing about being connected to LRC?
LRC is genuinely the most diverse club I know. What do I mean by that? We aren’t all just ‘fast’ or just ‘new’, ‘young’ or ‘old’. Every member is who and where they are in their running and fitness journey. Willing to give, share, help others grow and look to other members for help in their own lives. LRC for me was becoming a part of the Lakeland community, not just someone who lives in Lakeland. LRC was finding others who cared about running and not going the journey on my own.
Why do you serve on the LRC board?
I took my kids to kids running club back in the Coach Grace days. And then little by little I helped support Coach Amanda when she took over in whatever shy way I could because I was there. And then I talked to a few more people that became dear friends at the Mitchell’s coffee run. Eventually they learned I’m terrible at saying no. At the end of the day – the simplest things like handing out water during a race show you the impact and difference you can make in someone else’s story and watching finish lines gives me all the feels.
What is your favorite running memory?
Can I just choose making them? I do often laugh about ‘losing’ a couple of middle schoolers that coincidentally belonged to fellow board members at Holloway Park during practice a couple of years ago. (Everyone was retrieved safely for the record. But I am still terribly sorry for making Abby cry Chris and Kim!) Adventure is part of the cross country experience, right?
What is something most people don’t know about you?
I was born and raised a North Dakota farm girl. Music Major – doubled in education and performance. But have spent my adult career in Insurance Technology. Also known as: pretty darn nerdy.
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