Meet Robyn Kramer, one of our SoleMates running the 2025 Chicago Marathon! Running has helped her heal physically and emotionally, especially after a car accident led her to spine surgery. As a GOTR coach, she finds joy in empowering her team. Learn more about her journey to the starting line below!
Robyn first picked up running 10 years ago as a way to combat anxiety, and when she learned about Girls on the Run, she instantly knew she needed to be a coach one day to share the power of running with a group of girls.
“Running allowed me to conquer my own thoughts. It made me feel empowered where I felt helpless,” said Robyn. “As a young girl who severely struggled with self-confidence and body positivity, I thought of how a program like [GOTR] would have helped me.”
With three children, two stepchildren, and a career in Operations, Robyn keeps a busy schedule; however, in 2022, her life drastically changed. An accident caused her car to flip six times down the highway and left her with a cervical spine injury. After two years of treating her pain and attempting to run consistently again, Robyn underwent cervical disc replacement surgery and was determined to come back stronger than ever.
“After surgery, I started working through a list of things I had always wanted to do but hadn't, and becoming a GOTR Coach was on that list. I completed my first season as a volunteer GOTR Coach in 2024,” Robyn said. “It was such a powerful experience being able to witness first-hand a group of girls who started out saying they ‘hated running’ but ended up feeling like rockstars by being able to complete a 5k!”
Six months post-surgery, Robyn and her son ran a half marathon together during her first season coaching GOTR.
“I was able to share my journey with the GOTR girls, and I felt it could help them see they could do anything they set their minds to,” Robyn said. “Running the Chicago Marathon as a GOTR SoleMate to raise funds for this amazing program presents the perfect opportunity for me to once again conquer my biggest adversary—my own thoughts. Knowing these funds will help our GOTR program continue to provide access to all young girls, even if their families can't afford it, gives me that little extra push when my body is telling me I can't do it anymore!”
This November, Robyn will lace up her shoes for the Chicago Marathon, marking 18 months since her surgery. Donate to Robyn’s SoleMate fundraiser here.